KATY, Texas — Katy ISD reopened campuses Tuesday for in-person learning including one of its newest schools.
The new McElwain Elementary School was full of energy as teachers and staff welcomed back students for their first day of in-person learning.
Children were dressed head to toe in the usual colorful back to school gear in addition to personal protective gear like face masks. It is a new normal some parents say they're still getting used to.
"I’m feeling a little bit nervous, but I believe everything is going to be OK,” Sofia Portillo, a parent, said. “She's very excited to go back to school and I’m trusting the school that they'll do a good job. It's hard but we need to continue."
Katy ISD officially kicked off the school year virtually a few weeks ago.
The district said nearly half of its 84,000 students have opted to remain that way for the first grading period but the other half are back in the classroom.
"As great as KVA (Katy Virtual Academy) is there's nothing like coming back to school, being with your teacher, having those interactions and that's what we're looking forward to today," Kenneth Gregorski, superintendent of Katy ISD, said.
Among those who chose face to face learning is Sarah Emmerson's four kids.
"it was a hard decision for us, but at the end of the day we said you know what, this is routine they need, structure, and a little bit of normalcy," Emmerson said.
Katy ISD said it’s prepared for months to put proper COVID-19 safety protocols in place at their campuses including adding a dashboard to its website that shows the number of self-reported positive cases from students and staff.
As they get back into the swing of things, the district said safety will remain their top priority.