Any Texas student may learn online in fall. Masks, symptom checks required for campus
Students returning to campuses this fall amid the novel coronavirus’ outbreak must screen themselves for symptoms and must wear masks if Gov. Greg Abbott’s order mandating them is still in place, according to guidance released Tuesday by the Texas Education Agency.
While schools must provide daily on-campus attendance for students, parents may request their children be offered virtual instruction from any district offering it. However, they may be asked to commit to remote instruction for at least a full grading period, and parents who choose to switch from a virtual to classroom setting may be limited to transitioning at the end of grading periods.
Districts may also temporarily limit access to in-person instruction during the first three weeks of the school year, according to the public health guidance. The guidance takes effect immediately, and applies to both summer school classes and plans for the 2020-21 school year.
“Both as Commissioner and as a public school parent, my number one priority is the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff,” Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. “That is why the guidance laid out today will provide flexibility to both parents and districts to make decisions based on the ever-changing conditions of this public health crisis.”
In a news release, the agency said that assuming Abbott’s mask mandate issued last week is still in effect, schools will be required to comply with it. Children under 10 years old are exempt from wearing a mask under Abbott’s order, which applies to counties with 20 or more confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Districts also have the option to require the use of face masks or shields for adults and students “for whom it is developmentally appropriate.”
Ahead of the guidance’s release Tuesday, the Texas State Teachers Association had called on Abbott to remove the age limit exception from his mask mandate, saying that teachers must have the authority to decide whether children under 10 wear masks in their classrooms.
When asked if he plans to adjust his order, Abbott told KENS-TV in San Antonio Tuesday that his executive order on mask usage could change before schools open. He later told KPRC-TV in Houston, “I would love to have that mask order end before school begins.”
“A key word for education in this coming year is flexibility,” Abbott told KENS-TV. “We will need to be flexible based upon the facts on the ground at that particular time.”
According to TEA’s guidance, school districts must require teachers and staff to self-screen for symptoms daily before coming onto campus, which should include a temperature check. Parents must ensure they don’t send their child to campus if they’re exhibiting symptoms or if they’re confirmed to have a positive case.
Districts may also consider screening students by asking questions in-person or electronically, and while a regular temperature check of students who aren’t exhibiting students is not recommended, “the practice is also not prohibited by this guidance.”
The screening and mask requirements are a change of course after the agency had told lawmakers on a call last month and outlined in draft documents that districts would not be required to mandate face masks or test students for COVID-19 symptoms.
However, teacher groups and some lawmakers said it was still too soon to be planning to reopen schools as cases across Texas reach record highs.
“Texas obviously has not seen the end of this pandemic, and no one knows what August, the normal start of the fall semester, will bring. Regardless of the date, no school must reopen until the pandemic has clearly begun to subside and strict safety standards are in place for that campus,” TSTA President Noel Candelaria said in a statement Tuesday, pointing to strict social distancing and regular testing.
The agency’s news release notes that, “due to the nature of this pandemic, parents and educators should expect to see some campuses close for brief periods during the upcoming school year,” with possible changes to the guidance as well.
Sen. Beverly Powell, a Democrat from Burleson who serves on the Senate Education Committee, said the state must work with individual districts and consult with public health experts to ensure that students and teachers can both be kept safe and have their needs met.
“It is too soon to determine the safety of reopening schools as the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Texas continue to rise,” Powell said in a statement Tuesday. “Today’s guidance is a first step, but it is just that ... a first step. It is crucial that our state and local school districts continue to seek the advice of public health professionals before Texas students and teachers ultimately return to a traditional school setting.”
The Fort Worth school district announced last month that students would have the option of returning to the classroom or continuing their learning online in the fall, and in a statement Tuesday Fort Worth Superintendent Kent P. Scribner said the TEA’s guidance is “right in line with the plans we have been making for the 2020-2021 school year.”
Scribner stressed that personal protective equipment for students and staff and day-long cleaning activities will help reduce potential exposure to the virus.
The TEA’s guidance features recommendations like hand sanitizer at each entrance and in every classroom, a minimum of six feet between desks in classrooms and eliminating activities that may facilitate close contact, like assemblies.
If a student is showing symptoms, they must be separated from others until they can be picked up. Students who are feeling feverish should immediately have their temperature checked, according to the guidance.
Additionally, districts must notify all teachers, staff and students if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified on campus. Schools must close off any areas that were heavily used by the person who tested positive until they can be cleaned or unless more than three days have passed since they have been on campus.
This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Any Texas student may learn online in fall. Masks, symptom checks required for campus."
