Collin County Diocesan Schools to Reopen for in Person Instruction this Fall

Prayers for a safe and successful year take on a special importance this year as students at some Catholic schools in the Diocese of Dallas head back to class. Diocese of Dallas Catholic schools located in Collin County will reopen for in-person classes Wednesday, August 19th. Parents have the option of having their children attend inperson or learn online. Other Diocese of Dallas school students are scheduled to head back to the classroom September 2nd .

Prince of Peace and St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Schools will be opening for in-person instruction on August 19th. Meanwhile, John Paul II High School opens for in-person instruction on Aug. 20th .

There will be a two-week phase into full-time instruction so that students and parents can become familiar with the new safety protocols.

Superintendent Matt Vereecke and other administrators consulted with health experts and worked on developing the protocols throughout the summer. “Human life is sacred, and as Catholics we have a responsibility to protect it from conception to natural death, and we firmly believe these protocols will do so. Our decisions have been made with only three objectives in mind: the health, safety and faith of our students, teachers, and staff.”

The following protocols have been developed for student, teacher, and staff safety:

• All individuals will be required to wear face coverings when inside school buildings. There can be and will be no exceptions to this policy.
• No visitors will be permitted at the schools or on school grounds.
• There will be no fall sports for the grade schools.
• All individuals will submit to health screenings every day, mandatory sick leave will be enforced, and details will be shared by your local principal when and if someone tests positive.

“We will be constantly reviewing these procedures with medical experts and will be closely monitoring schools throughout the year,” said Vereecke.