LA JOYA – La Joya Independent School District will be the first school district to cancel their fall athletics calendar after the district approved online only instruction for the first eight weeks of the school year which begins in the first week of September.

Texasfootball.com’s insider Matt Stepp was first to report this developing story on Saturday after the district released a memo on their social platforms confirming the online learning dates. 

?? Attention La Joya ISD Family??
La Joya ISD will remain 100% on its Remote Learning Model for the first 8 weeks of school. The first day of school continues to be September 8, 2020.???? pic.twitter.com/ihn2Pf8ZQb

— La Joya ISD (@lajoyaisd) August 21, 2020

Despite the UIL providing an opportunity for extra-curricular activities  to begin at schools that are not yet holding in-person instruction, districts are being faced with a decision on how to to proceed with the Rio Grande Valley continuing to be a COVID-19 hotspot.

The three high schools have informed their respective District Executive Committees of the decision to not hold a fall sports season. Despite a pair of attempts to reach LJISD Athletic Director Victor Garza for comment he could not be reached. 

With La Joya ISD making a decision on fall sports well ahead of the current Hidalgo County orders that are postponing in-person instruction until September 27th at the earliest, other school districts are now considering if they should make a similar call to that of La Joya or continue to take a wait and see approach with county orders and health data to make a call closer to September.

One source close to a large multi-school district told KRGV that there wouldn’t be a decision made until the middle of September.

Another source at a different multi-school district told KRGV that they are exploring all options to play the fall sports when it is safe enough to play even if it means only facing teams in their school district or other schools in the region that decide to postpone fall sports.

No decisions have been formalized or announced by LJISD as of Monday despite the school’s informing their DEC’s of the decision.

So here’s what I can report on what’s going on in RGV regarding fall sports

1. La Joya ISD has let respective DEC’s know that they will not be participating in Fall Sports. @Matt_Stepp817 first.

2. Multiple school districts have moved up discussions on whether or not #txhsfb

— Alex Del Barrio (@alexdelbarrio) August 24, 2020

…to play fall sports, but none as of now are in the decision phase yet. The LJ decision over the weekend has moved up those discussions. (@ByAndyMcCulloch first)

3. There are a few districts that are inching closer to a “point of no return” date as it relates to fall sports.

— Alex Del Barrio (@alexdelbarrio) August 24, 2020

meaning…if the situation has not improved by that date, they have already internally planned to cancel fall sports.

4. Despite the UIL rules that allow for workouts even if all students are not back for in-person instruction, no district I have spoken to has confirmed they

— Alex Del Barrio (@alexdelbarrio) August 24, 2020

will have any extra curricular activity until students return. (This doesn’t mean it won’t happen, just that none confirmed to me that they will)

5. One large RGV district is pushing for a RGV only non-UIL football season, or even a “city championship” schedule. Many ideas are

— Alex Del Barrio (@alexdelbarrio) August 24, 2020

being floated for ways to play games even if they aren’t part of the overall UIL playoff structure.

6. Expect the 2nd week of September to be the week where a final call will be made for fall sports in the region. Either from county govt, or ISD officials. #txhsfb

— Alex Del Barrio (@alexdelbarrio) August 24, 2020