UPDATED 8:21 p.m. Feb. 20:
Round Rock ISD canceled classes Feb. 22-23 following a week of unprecedented winter storms that left significant water damage in campus buildings. Both campuses and RRISD offices will remain close Feb. 22-23, with neither in-person or virtual classes to occur.
RRISD officials cited more than 70 incidents of storm-related damage at campuses and district facilities in a Feb. 20 news release. Causes for the cancellation included RRISD campus and facility damages, students and staff lacking food, water and stable internet access as well as a lack of food and water at RRISD schools.
More information will be provided in the coming days regarding when virtual classes will reconvene and when in-person students can return to campuses. The closures are authorized by a Texas Education Agency waiver and will not affect the 2020-21 academic calendar.
Round Rock City Council Member Writ Baese announced on Wednesday he will not seek reelection in May for his Place 5 seat after serving two terms. I have always believed two or three terms was the right length of time to serve, Baese said in an email. There is so much to learn during the first term and the second term is an opportunity to make a contribution, so it was important to me that I did not stay too long.
Baese said he thanks the residents of Round Rock for the opportunity to serve over the past six years. It has been an incredible honor to serve the citizens of Round Rock, Baese said. Round Rock is an amazing place to operate a business and raise our kids and is truly a fiscally strong city. Through detail planning, our strong business climate brought the city through 2020 in a stable, sound manner.