Austin Prep Plans for Reopening

It’s hard to believe we’re only a few weeks away from the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. Over the last several weeks, we have worked to recreate, reframe, and reimagine life on campus to keep the Austin Prep community as safe as possible during the global pandemic. Although we continue to be vigilant and are implementing many strategies to protect health and safety, the risk of exposure to COVID-19 will not be zero. While no single strategy or mitigation effort will ever be perfect, all strategies operating together will help reduce risk. 

Austin Prep’s Reopening Plan has been posted to the School’s website. As previously announced, a webinar for parents, students, and staff is scheduled for Thursday, August 13 at 1:00 p.m. to provide an overview of the plan (you will receive a invitation under separate cover). I encourage you to review the reopening document in advance of the webinar.

Because all parents, students, and staff have been invited to attend this presentation, there will be more than 1,000 participants. To provide an opportunity to answer questions you may have, we have created a form for you to submit them. We ask that you submit your questions by 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday so that we can aggregate the questions and provide answers during the webinar or post them in the FAQ section on the Reopening webpage.

This Reopening Plan was crafted with input from medical experts, epidemiologists, public health officials, educators, and parents. The plan we created, based on what is currently known about COVID-19, is judicious, and flexible. One of the most common questions we have received during the last several weeks pertains to the option of participating in remote instruction. As a result of significant upgrades to our technology infrastructure at Austin Prep, I’m pleased to share we will be able to provide that option. Students with medical needs or a general apprehension about returning to campus will be able to opt-in to remote instruction.

Participating remotely, however, will be a different experience than being in an actual classroom. While the technology can digitally connect you to the classroom, it will not be perfect. You will have an opportunity to test the remote platform before making a final decision. The Reopening Plan outlines the guidelines and parameters that are associated with opting in to remote teaching and learning.

Despite countless hours of careful planning by dozens of professionals and experts to keep health and safety foremost, the Reopening Plan will continue to evolve and respond to emerging scientific data and changing conditions of the public health crisis. As we stand on the threshold of the next academic year, I am asking for extraordinary patience and understanding from all of us. Everything in the plan is subject to change.

Assembling this Reopening Plan has been a considerable effort on the part of many. I wish I could say the plan is perfect, but I can’t. In its imperfection, however, it is aligned with the mission of Austin Prep – enduring values which chart the course of this Catholic community in its pursuit of excellence. Mindful that you have many schooling choices, we will never stop pursuing the excellence you have every right to expect of Austin Prep.

Although the days ahead will be full of curveballs, I feel blessed I can encounter them in the Austin Prep community.