By Sharon Wisch-Ray
Heading back to school during the pandemic is the topic of almost every media outlet these days whether in print, online or on the air. The local Jewish community is no different.
On Tuesday, the heads of schools of Dallas’ five day and high schools — Tom Elieff of Anne & Nate Levine Academy, Rabbi Yaakov Green of Akiba Yavneh Academy, Rabbi Avraham Zev Kosowsky of Mesorah High School for Girls, Rabbi Shlomo Pacht of Texas Torah Institute and Rabbi Avi Pekier of Torah Day School — as well as Rabbi Mordechai Harris, director of Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas Center for Jewish Education issued a joint statement to the day school community.
The statement emphasized the educators’ commitment to safety, well-being and flexibility. It also explained the process of collaboration that guided the community’s response.
With different demographics and age groups to contend with, reopening is not a one-size fits all proposition. Here is a rundown for the different schools’ plans to date:

Early Childhood Programs

There are eight Jewish early childhood programs in North Texas. All of them will begin with in person classes and some of them have distance-learning options.
• Anshai Torah (Tuesday, Aug. 12) and Chabad of Plano (Wednesday, Aug. 13) began this week.
• Levine Academy (Monday, Aug. 17) and Akiba Yavneh Academy (Thursday, Aug. 20) will begin next week.
• The JCC (Monday, Aug. 24) and Chabad of Dallas (Wednesday, Aug. 26) will begin in two weeks.
• Torah Day School will begin Monday, Aug. 31. The ECC will move to Congregation Ohr Hatorah to allow for more space for the upper grades to social distance.
• Lil Goldman School and Temple Emanu-El begin Sept. 8.

Kindergarten-8th Grade

Akiba Yavneh Academy will begin the school year on Wednesday, Aug. 19, with a staggered plan for in-person learning. While some children will start on campus, the rest will attend school through distance learning.
• Kindergarten, first grade and the self-contained Ma’alot classroom will begin in person Wednesday, Aug. 19.
• Second through fifth grades begin in-person Monday, Aug. 31
• Sixth through eighth grades begin in-person Tuesday, Sept. 8
All students have the option to continue distance learning.
Levine Academy will begin the school year Monday, Aug. 17, with a staggered plan for in-person learning. While some children will start on campus, the rest will attend school through distance learning.
• Kindergarten and first grade begin Monday, Aug. 17.
• Second through fifth grades begin in-person Monday, Aug. 31.
• Sixth through eighth grades will begin in-person Tuesday, Sept. 8.
All students have the option to continue distance learning.
Torah Day School will begin classes Aug. 31. They are considering three options which they expect to finalize by Friday, Aug. 14.
The possibilities are:
• Plan A: Full-day program for kindergarten through third grade; partial day until 1 p.m. for grades four through eight, allowing the classes to be split in half.
• Plan B: Full-day program for kindergarten through first grade; robust distance learning program for second through eighth grades.
• Plan C: A Full distance-learning program for kindergarten through eighth grade.

High Schools

Akiba Yavneh will begin in-person classes Tuesday, Sept. 8
Mesorah High School for Girls plans to open in person Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Texas Torah Institute will open Wednesday, Sept. 2. The school is working on a plan for students to return to the dorm.
All high-schools have a distance-learning option.