Students return to classes in Texas districts scarred by fire

From The Austin American-Statesman: After fires earlier this month reduced hundreds of homes in central Texas to ashes, students have returned to classes in the Bastrop school district. Campus officials had to discern where students were living and how to get them to and from school. An untold number of students have lost their homes, as well as their clothes, backpacks, school supplies and normal routines. The Smithville school district also resumed classes after a weeklong hiatus triggered by the area fires. Smithville bus routes have been adjusted to pick up students at additional locations, from a hotel in La Grange to a location for students staying in Austin temporarily.

Earlier....

The Bastrop (Texas) school district is trying to determine how many of its students have been displaced because of wildfires that have destroyed many homes in the area. Officials canceled classes for the entire week because of the fires, but are making plans to resume classes on Monday.

ALSO: Several districts in East and Central Texas have canceled classes because of wildfires, the Texas Education Agency says.

UPDATE from The Austin American-Statesman: A new estimate puts the number of homes destroyed by wildfires in Bastrop County, Texas, at 1,386. The larger Bastrop fire was 30 percent contained as of Wednesday, officials said. That fire had burned 34,000 acres. A smaller fire on the west side of the city of Bastrop, has burned about 900 acres but was 90 percent contained Wednesday.