BACK 2 SCHOOL

Katy ISD will begin enrolling its newest and youngest students for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

For the first time since 19 students and two teachers were gunned down at Robb Elementary, students in Uvalde students at Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District will head back to class.

As children head back to school, a local audiologist is warning about auditory processing disorder (APD). The condition is when the brain has a problem processing sounds, which can affect how someone understands speech.

Cy-Fair ISD is experiencing significant growth, making it the third largest district in Texas with 118,000 students. Most of those students are headed back to class for the first day of school.

As Houston ISD returns to school, Sharpstown International School has started a new class to help support students emotionally.

As Houston ISD schools begin the school year, the “Safe Walk Home Northside” program continued its mission of making the community safe for students who walk to and from school.

This year, food pantries at Houston ISD schools have grown and have become more accessible to the local communities.

As student-athletes return to practices, one doctor in warning athletes to have every injury checked out within a few weeks or risk further damage having it healed the wrong way.

This has been the hottest summer in recorded history for Houston.

‘Watch D.O.G.S.,’ or “Dads of Great Students,” is a father or male-involvement initiative that has really taken off in Katy ISD.

Students who will attend certain Houston ISD schools can apply for free or reduced-price meals for the 2022-2023 school year as long as they meet certain requirements.

Within the first 10 days of school, Fort Bend ISD to perform four drills, including severe weather, lockdown, secure, and fire drills.

It’s an exciting day for students and staff at Klein ISD as they prepare to head back to the classroom for the first day of school.

Thousands of students in Humble Independent School District will be heading back to the classroom Tuesday and there are a lot of updates this year.

Several Houston-area school district police chiefs are joining together to layout a safety plan as the 2022-2023 school year gets underway.

Several Houston-area school districts are starting the 2022-2023 school year on Monday. Among those, Alief Independent School District.

Summer is flying by, and it is time to start shopping for going back to school. A new water bottle is going to be just what your kid needs to have a great new year.

Aldine ISD has expanded its Additional Days School Year (ADSY) program to two more campuses as Harris Elementary and Smith Elementary will welcome students on the first day of instruction on Monday.

Fort Bend Independent School District announced Saturday that its mask mandate for students and staff has been lifted.

Cy-Fair ISD welcomed students back to the classrooms on Monday.

It’s a big day for thousands of students in the Houston area as it is back to school for the largest district in the state of Texas. Thousands of students will be heading back to school. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House made several stops Monday morning. The first was at Benbrook Elementary School, where he welcomed students with breakfast.

Students in Katy ISD returned to the classroom on Wednesday morning.

Two former graduates of Klein ISD have returned to the district as educators.

Students at Clear Creek ISD returned to the classroom this week.

As students head back to school, COVID-19 cases are again surging, threatening to overwhelm hospitals. Public health experts are sounding the alarm over the delta variant of the virus. And, without any state funds for remote learning this year, school districts are rushing to figure out how best to protect their students while grappling with Gov. Greg Abbott’s prohibition against masking mandates in schools.

Students at Fort Bend ISD went back to school for in-person instruction on Wednesday.

Spring ISD is rolling out a new transportation system on their buses to track students.

Tuesday marks the first day of school for students in Alief ISD.

Houston-area parents are looking forward to send their children back to school in-person, and help is coming for those who need a boost.

HOUSTON – Houston ISD is expanding its food distribution to ensure all students have access to healthy food during the week-long Thanksgiving break, which kicks off Monday, Nov. 23. All campus curbside pickup locations will over seven days work for student meals on Thursday, November 19. Typically, the district provides meals for three or four days. Additionally, a third Neighborhood Supersites will be held at Sugar Grove Academy on Saturday, November 21— the final community distribution before Thanksgiving. Campus and community distributions will resume their normal schedules when the district reopens on Monday, Nov. 30.

HOUSTON – Fort Bend ISD parents considering to change their child’s learning environment for the spring semester have a day left to decide. The deadline is looming for parents looking to move their child from in-person classes to online learning or the other way around. The district has requested parents fill out a form via Skyward Family Access by November 12 at 11:59 p.m. Dalia Abouzeid, a mother of two, said she was considering switching her third grader and sixth grader to in-person learning, but ultimately decided to keep them in virtual classrooms. Dupre said if a school does not have the capacity to accommodate many students wanting to switch to in-person learning, the district will consider turning large multi-purpose rooms into classrooms.

HOUSTON – A Wharton County school district is ending its remote learning program. Louise ISD said the remote learning approach has been unsuccessful for most students and will allow all students to return to schools on Tuesday, according to a letter to parents. Teachers and administrators will not longer be offering remote learning. “I am not mandating that your family chooses to return to school. Yet, I am suggesting that you make a decision that continues to provide the appropriate needs of your children,” said Louise ISD Superintendent Dr. Garth Oliver in release.

When Rice University decided months ago students and professors would return to in-class instruction in the fall, the university built four outdoor classrooms to adhere to coronavirus-related health precautions. So far students and professors are giving the hi-tech fabric structures a passing grade. One of the biggest concerns was how students and faculty would handle classes in the Texas heat. Many say they didn’t know what to make of the idea when they first heard about the “tents.”“When I heard tent I was thinking like the typical open tent, like air outside,” said student Derin Okunuvi. Rice University says it was important to offer face-to-face instruction as big part of the unversity’s culture.

KLEIN, Texas – Tuesday morning school kicked off for thousands of students at Klein Independent School District. We’re so grateful for our families and just excited that school is back in session at Klein ISD," said Jenny McGown, Klein ISD Superintendent. Donte Berry, 14, is a freshman at Klein Cain High School and is one of many students trying to get adjusted to a new school. “I am a parent of a Klein ISD student myself and he is on campus for his first day too,” she said. Klein ISD reported no major issues after the first day of class.

HOUSTON – As students in the state’s largest school district started their virtual classes Tuesday, some parents reported having trouble connecting to the district’s website. KPRC 2 attempted to visit the official website for the Houston Independent School District several times Tuesday morning and received a runtime error and a 504 error. They will all be in virtual learning until at least Oct. 19, when some are scheduled to return to in-person learning. According to Lathan, about 12,000 students still do not have devices for virtual learning, but that does not mean they will be left behind. The district launched 36 digital learning centers for kids who still do not have what they need to participate in virtual school.

Tuesday morning the school year kicks off for Klein Independent School District, and a question on parents minds, how safe are the buses in the middle of a pandemic? Director of Transportation services for Klein ISD, Josh Rice is charged with the task of keeping buses safe and clean. Klein ISD has approximately 350 buses. The new cleaning policies will likely continue post coronavirus to mitigate the spread of germs on the bus, according to Rice. Whether on the bus or at school, students have to wear one.

HOUSTON Houston Independent School District is opening 36 digital learning centers for students that do not have access to technology. The centers are for elementary and middle school students, enabling them to take part in instruction through the HISD @ H.O.M.E. Students at the digital learning centers will participate in instruction provided by their teacher of record and complete independent assignments. Due to COVID-19 health concerns, the digital learning centers are only available to students without access to technology. Transportation to and from the digital learning centers will be available for students from their home campus.

KLEIN, Texas – Klein ISD organized a simulation day for teachers and students on Wednesday, ahead of the first day of school next week. There is still a week before classes begin, but children and teachers were back in the classrooms and wearing their masks. That was really hard, so I just said, ‘air hug, air hug,’” said Wahlquist. Klein ISD said they’re committed to keeping teachers and students safe. The first day of school was scheduled for Sept. 8.

KATY, Texas – Katy ISD is set to begin the school year with a virtual start on Wednesday morning. More than 85,000 k-12th grade will begin the school year with online learning. Katy ISD Superintendent Dr. Ken Gregorski said that the district has been working for weeks to make sure that students have the technology needed to begin the school year. So we feel that our system is up and ready and functional to handle the capacity that it will need for students to get online,” the superintendent said. All the way from when you get on the bus where every child getting on school transportation is required to wear a mask.

HOUSTON Some Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston reopened Thursday, including St. Martha Catholic School in Kingwood. Eighty percent of students are returning to the classroom at St. Martha Catholic School, which teaches children Pre-K through 8th grade. We wanted to make sure if anybody is running a fever, well hold them out, said Father Dolce. As a Catholic school, thats our message, A message of hope and of Gods love and Hes present here. Also, also every student here at St. Martha is required to wear a mask.

HUMBLE, Texas – Humble ISD students started virtually on Tuesday and schools were preparing for in-person learning in two weeks. Even with empty classrooms and hallways for now, there’s an excitement at Summer Creek High School. “I’ve just decided, I’m going to enjoy my school year, no matter what’s going on,” said Nathan Wooley. Classes will begin with middle and high school students on a split schedule. Principal McDonald had a message for Humble ISD families.

HUMBLE, Texas – Students at Humble Independent School District started virtually on Tuesday. On a normal year, the drill team at Summer Creek High School would’ve started weeks earlier, but this year, practices were delayed and they made major changes. “Seeing them dance, seeing this magic, this passion that they have, the passion that I share with them, so that’s what exactly what I’m looking forward to.”But this year is different in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “A little difficult at the beginning but it ended up working out, I have my team of 60,” said Aranda. The district is allowing students who are learning virtually to take part in extracurricular activities.

HOUSTON Its been a problem in this neighborhood, according to Fort Bend County resident Dina Gusten. She lives in the Sienna neighborhood and says shes seen a significant amount of crashes in the Sienna Village of Anderson Springs. I am concerned about drivers and I think everyone needs to be on the same page and be re-educated on what theyre supposed to do since school is coming up, Gusten said. This is why its so important to share this information with drivers, as select students will be heading back to school soon. So, here are the dos and donts, according to Texas Department of Transportation:

PASADENA, Texas – Pasadena ISD kicked off the third annual “Fill the Bus” School Supply Drive to help students prepare for the school year. Pasadena ISD Associate Superintendent Troy McCarley said that they want to make sure that students feel prepared. “It’s ensuring that every student on that first day of school has all of the supplies they need,” said McCarley. The drive was coordinated by the school district, the city and the chamber of commerce. Organizers said that they are need of school supply items in addition to hand sanitizer and tissues.

If you haven’t prepared the lunches ahead, your child may not have enough time to eat before their next virtual class. Sugar Land blogger Brenda Thompson of Meal Planning Magic has been prepping family meals and kids lunches for years. Actually packing or preparing your child’s lunch for virtual learning may keep them out of the snack cabinet and those sugary snacks that will make it more difficult for them to stay in their seat and stay focused. Thompson’s lunch ideas:Lunch Kabobs: Sliding all the main food groups on a stick makes lunch fun and nutritious. When you share pictures of your child’s lunch using #PowerYourLunchbox, you can help support families in need.

NEW CANEY, Texas – Curbside meal service for New Caney ISD begins Monday, Aug. 10 for students grades PreK-12. Lunch will be charged according to the National School Lunch Program eligibility (full-price, reduced-price, or free depending on eligibility). Meal service will take place Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for breakfast and lunch. Students must be present with a school ID or a parent must provide a student school ID or ID number when picking up meals. Meal prices are as follows: Grades PreK-5: $2.75Grades 6-12: $3Adults $4.50Meals will be given out at the following locations:

HOUSTON Lines of cars showed up for the Mayors Back 2 School Fest. The distribution is drive-thru style and volunteers started to fill up the trunks of cars with back to school supplies, food and masks at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. The event, which is being presented by Shell and is in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, is designed to help economically disadvantaged elementary school students and their families prepare for the school year. I think its great, matter of fact it is very organized I didnt think it would be this organized, said Leon Deal. In addition to distributing masks and backpacks stuffed with school supplies, the Houston Food Bank will also be providing families with necessary food items..Click here to pre-register for the event.

HOUSTON – School is back in session today for Alief ISD Thursday morning. Things will look different this year for students and educators because instruction is 100% virtual for the time being. One was held at Alief Taylor High School and another is slated for Thursday at 8 a.m. at Elsik High School. Principal Mary Williams said although things will look different they are excited to get the school year started. “The first day of school is always my favorite day of school and this is just a little bit different,” said Williams.

HOUSTON – Thousands of families attended the Aldine ISD Back-to-School Expo. Aldine ISD families were able to pick up free backpacks and school supplies and food donations were provided by BakerRipley. Jennifer Calixto said that she and her family waited in the parking lot since 6:30 a.m.“It’s been very organized, it’s good,” said Calixto. She added, “It is very helpful to the community right now.”Sarah Lowery with the Family and Community and Engagement Department at Aldine ISD said they expect more than 3500 families to attend. “Especially with COVID happening, there are families who may be struggling financially and just need that extra start just to get them going with school supplies.

Traffic Expert Anavid Reyes is here with tips on how to keep these cyclists and pedestrians safe. The Texas Department of Transportation said right now, speeding is a big concern when it comes to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians sharing the road. Cyclists and pedestrians have a lot of similarities but are considered different groups, so they have separate regulations. Pedestrians: If your child is walking to school this year, you’ll want to talk to them about the danger of walking while looking at their phones. Children under 10 should have an adult with them when walking to school.

KPRC 2 Creative Services Producers Glorianne Quintero, Derek Stokely and Eric Greene sit on the KPRC 2 balcony to brainstorm. The KPRC 2 Promo team scours the internet in search of green shirts that can be purchased immediately. STEP 6LOOK FOR A SCHOOL: The KPRC 2 Promo team needed a classroom with a particular style of desk. The KPRC 2 Promo team reaches out to friends and staff members in search of children to act as the students. Later in the day, the KPRC 2 Promo team heads to The Imani School to shoot the classroom scenes with Gabriel, Riley, Emma, Olivia, Lily and Sophia.

List of districts below (in alphabetical order after HISD):HOUSTON ISD -- starts Monday, Aug. 26:For more information, visit www.houstonisd.org. ANGLETON ISD -- starts Monday, Aug. 19:For more information, visit www.angletonisd.net. BRAZOS ISD -- starts Wednesday, Aug. 21:For more information, visit www.brazosisd.net. BRAZOSPORT ISD -- starts Wednesday, Aug. 14:For more information, visit www.brazosportisd.net. CHANNELVIEW ISD -- starts Thursday, Aug. 15:For more information, visit www.cvisd.org.