Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on the Texas Coast, dumping more than 50 inches of rain in parts of the Houston area, flooding thousands of homes and killing more than 80 people. The devastation was swift, and the recovery is far from over. The Texas Tribune has assigned a team to examine Harvey’s aftermath, including rebuilding efforts, the government’s response, and what Texas is doing to prepare for future storms. More in this series

As coastal Texas school districts pick up the pieces after Hurricane Harvey flooded and razed their schools, parents must make crucial decisions about how long to wait before enrolling their children somewhere else.

The state is giving students who evacuated from the storm a “reasonable period of time” to decide where they want to enroll, without being penalized. Texas Education Agency officials are deciding on a case-by-case basis how to deal with schools unable to open in the next few weeks.

Under federal law, students who are staying in a shelter, with friends or relatives, or in other temporary housing are considered homeless. They can immediately enroll in any Texas school district and must be referred to the services they need, including mental health and housing resources.

Even in school districts that are able to open soon after the storm, some buildings are damaged beyond repair. In Houston ISD alone, the Houston Chronicle reports, more than 10,000 students will need to attend other campuses, with standing water in 200 schools.

The Texas Tribune wants to hear from families displaced by the storm going through this process and trying to get their kids back in school.

When and why did you make the decision to stay in or leave your home district? What services does your child need to succeed?

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Aliyya Swaby was the public education reporter for The Texas Tribune, where she worked from 2016 to 2021. Previously she worked at the hyperlocal nonprofit New Haven Independent, where she covered education,...