At this time, SISD has made the very difficult decision to continue to keep our schools closed until April 3. Updates from the United States Centers for Disease Control coupled with those of our state and local health officials have factored into this determination.

SISD believes that it is in the best interest of public health to support social distancing by closing schools for in-person instruction. Many of our fellow school districts are facing this same situation.

Sunnyvale ISD continues to embrace the responsibility of educating our students. SISD teachers are committed to partnering with you as we transition to providing instruction in a new format. SISD's At-Home Learning Program for students will launch on Monday, March 23. By Friday, you will receive a phone call from one of your child's teachers. You will also receive detailed information and support about the At-Home Learning Program, including directions, how-to videos, information regarding grading, and helpful websites. Assignments and the distribution of paper-based activities will begin on Monday, March 23. 

Please note that the return date of April 6 could change as we continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19. 

Sincerely,

Sunnyvale ISD Administration

As you know, keeping our students, staff, families and visitors safe and healthy is the highest priority for Sunnyvale ISD. Over the past few days, we have seen things change minute by minute. Please know that students are always at the heart of our decisions and we are managing this situation with them and our entire community in mind. We have been in constant contact with local, state and federal health authorities. We are also in contact with neighboring school districts.

Based on recommendations from all health experts we are extending Spring Break and will be keeping schools closed next week, Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20. During this extended spring break, all-district events and competitions that have been scheduled during this timeframe will be considered canceled until further notice (we hope to be able to reschedule the third grade NASA field trip and will keep you updated on this as soon as we are able). As families are returning from spring break, we will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation. A decision will be made in regard to reopening SISD schools sometime next week. We will communicate updated information as it becomes available.

SISD Cleaning Measures

Our custodial staff has cleaning protocols in place for all district facilities, and we are taking some additional measures to deep clean throughout the district:

- Custodians use a commercial grade, hydrogen peroxide-based multipurpose disinfecting cleaner.

- Surfaces are wiped down and electrostatic machines are used to clean and sanitize major hallways and common areas on campuses.

-Campuses have been “deep cleaned” during spring break, using a hospital grade disinfectant, applied with a commercial misting unit.

- All school buses will be deep cleaned with a hospital grade disinfectant using a misting sprayer at the end of this week, following all spring break field trips and activities.

- The district is providing campuses with extra disinfectant wipes, which schools use throughout the day as an additional prevention effort.

Extending the Grading Period

Next week was planned as the end of the grading period. Please know that we are extending the grading period by two weeks in an effort to keep ensure that grading for all Raiders is fair and complete. We will keep you updated on further developments to this information. 

Daily Breakfast and Lunches

SISD will continue to provide breakfast and lunch for students of SISD. If your child is in need of breakfast or lunch, please fill out this form and we will contact you on how the pick up location for these meals.

Traveling Families

With an extended Spring Break, it may be tempting to travel. However, we remind you to please consider the travel recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The COVID-19 outbreak is a concern for anyone currently traveling or considering traveling at this time. Those with travel plans are strongly encouraged to closely monitor travel advisories and guidance from the CDC, available online at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html.

Dallas County Health Services will continue to communicate with Sunnyvale ISD regarding any official quarantine/monitoring restrictions for travelers. We realize some of our families have traveled over spring break, and we respectfully request that if you or any member of your household has traveled internationally, including cruises, please inform us via this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHTBYtQWxKeBHsonpMt1e0XxsgnDH1e5Vz06Riy5_3m775DQ/viewform.

While we consider obtaining this information to be vital in working to keep COVID-19 from impacting our community, we also value the confidentiality of our families. The form, which is entirely private, will be reviewed by Superintendent Doug Williams and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Christi Morgan only.

Other Questions

We know you have many questions. Please know that the Sunnyvale ISD Administration team is communicating constantly and will continue to make information available to you as we are able. 

We are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution. Public health officials have not yet made this a requirement for public institutions. And there are no COVID-19 cases reported in Sunnyvale ISD.

Talking To Your Raider About Coronavirus

Students may feel some anxiety about growing concerns over this health issue. Please utilize this information to help them process this information.

Please care for yourself, your family and those around you, and continue to adhere to the preventative measures as recommended by public health officials, such as limiting interaction and practicing social distancing. Visit the CDC website for more information.

Sunnyvale ISD has created a dedicated COVID-19 web page to provide the most current and accurate district information. 

We appreciate your continued flexibility and support during this unprecedented time. We will continue to work to make the very best decisions for Sunnyvale ISD students and keep you updated on those plans.

With this initiative, SISD will be able to meet the recommendations of our board-adopted SISD Strategic Plan, which was created by a group of 150 Sunnyvale community members, teachers, parents, administrators and students. The plan is the blueprint for SISD’s next 3-5 years.

These goals include:

1. Ensuring that class sizes remain below the state average

2. Providing competitive teacher salaries for Sunnyvale educators

3. Maintaining student programs and course offerings

4. Securing student safety and wellness.

We thank our community for its continued support!