Texas schools will reopen in the fall, but no one knows exactly how that will work

When Fort Worth middle school English teacher Ale Checka heard Thursday that Texas plans to reopen schools for in-person instruction in the fall, she felt panicked.

Parents had already been flooding her phone and email with questions about what the Fort Worth Independent School District was planning, and she didn't have many answers. She had watched Gov. Greg Abbott authorize most Texas businesses to reopen even as the state's coronavirus cases continue to reach daily record highs.

And her worries compounded upon hearing that state will not make wearing masks mandatory for all students and staff: She knew the lack of a requirement would make it harder for her to get supplies and make her middle schoolers use them.