ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston To Host a Two-Night ‘COVID-19 and Our Schools’ Town Hall July 29 – 30

The Two-Night Town Hall Airs July 29 – 30 (7:00 – 8:00 p.m. CDT)

Exclusively Stream Live at ABC13.com, ABC13’s Facebook Live and YouTube and ABC13’s connected TV apps on Amazon FireTV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku

ABC13, Houston’s news leader, presents, “COVID-19 and Our Schools” a two-night town hall on WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, and THURSDAY, JULY 30 (7:00 – 8:00 p.m. CDT, both nights), highlighting how school districts are preparing to welcome back students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be hosted by ABC13’s Eyewitness News anchors Gina Gaston and Erik Barajas.

As COVID-19 infections surge across southeast Texas, concerns are mounting about how the pandemic could affect classes, sports and extracurricular activities, STAAR testing and college admissions. In attempt to find solutions for Houston communities, ABC 13’s investigative team surveyed 125 school districts that are home to about 2.5 million students to understand what fall will bring and to give viewers the most complete back-to-school picture possible.

Gaston and Barajas are joining school superintendents and medical experts to address the issues Texas school systems and students are facing, as well as answer your questions about what to expect as Houston and Harris county health officials order schools to delay in-person learning and uncertainty mounts as families are navigating the start of the school year with online learning.

ABC13 urges viewers to join the town hall and submit their questions online at ABC13.com and through the ABC13 news app for possible inclusion in Monday’s town hall.

Panelists for Wednesday’s town hall include the following:

Dr. Grenita Lathan, Houston ISD superintendent
Dr. LaTonya Goffney, Aldine ISD superintendent
Dr. Rodney Watson, Spring ISD superintendent
Dr. Umair Shah, Harris County Public Health executive director
Zeph Capo, Texas Federation of Teachers president

Panelists for Thursday’s town hall include the following:

Dr. Charles Dupre, Fort Bend ISD superintendent
Dr. Greg Smith, Clear Creek ISD superintendent
HD Chambers, Alief ISD superintendent
Zeph Capo, Texas Federation of Teachers president

The virtual town hall airs Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30, at 7:00 p.m. CDT (both nights) on ABC13.com, streaming on ABC13’s Facebook Live, YouTube, ABC13’s app, and ABC13’s connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku.

About KTRK- TV
For over 50 years, ABC13 has been Houston’s news leader from sign-on to sign-off. Broadcasting 49 hours of locally produced newscasts each week, ABC13 is the top-rated and most-watched station among the Houston-area viewers. ABC13 also leads the market in its digital media efforts, with top rankings for its website, abc13.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. ABC13 delivers live and streaming content on Roku, Fire TV, Amazon and AppleTV in the ABC13 Houston App. ABC13 is deeply invested in the Houston community, and we spotlight Houston’s diversity with community affairs programs covering issues that affect different segments of our population—from local town halls to ABC13+. The station also hosts several community projects throughout the year including Share Your Holidays, an annual food drive benefiting the Houston Food Bank; and our E-cycle Drive, a collection/recycling effort for outdated electronic equipment in conjunction with Earth Day. ABC13 is also known for broadcasting the city’s major events including the annual July 4th Freedom Over Texas celebration, The Chevron Marathon, Houston Pride and The Houston Rodeo Parade.

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KTRK/ABC13 Contact:
Brandon DeHoyos, Director of Community Engagement
(713) 663-8712
brandon.dehoyos@disney.com