Dalhart ISD cancels school due to district-wide internet outage

DALHART, Texas (KFDA) – Due to a district-wide internet outage, Dalhart ISD has canceled school for all students while the administration works to resolve the issue.

After discovering the problem over the weekend, Dalhart ISD Superintendent Jeff Byrd made the decision to close schools on Monday.

“Ultimately, in a matter of minutes, we build in almost 11.5 days more than we actually need for the school year,” Byrd said. “It made it easier for us to make the decision to drop out of school.”

According to Byrd, a complete outage disrupts teachers’ lesson plans and poses a safety risk due to the potential for no or unrestricted access to buildings.

“When I went to school, we didn’t have to worry about safety like we do today,” Byrd said. “I can go home tonight, put my head on the pillow, rest well and know that I made the best decision because I made the decision that was best for our students and our staff.”

Dalhart ISD plans to resume classes tomorrow.

“Worst case scenario, we have a plan A and a plan B for tomorrow. We understand this is difficult for our students,” Byrd said.

Internet has been restored to both middle and high schools, and Dalhart plans to restore access to elementary and high schools by tomorrow.

Superintendent Byrd says they are unable to provide a cause for the crash at this time.