Texas’ public schools will report COVID cases to state. Data will be posted in Sept.
Texas’ public school districts will soon be reporting data on confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus to the state, the Texas Education Agency and Texas Department of State Health Services announced Thursday.
Districts will report COVID-19 cases to DSHS, which will display the cases totals publicly in a new tracking system starting in September, according to a joint statement from the two agencies.
“Data on the number of cases in schools is of paramount interest to parents, students, teachers, staff, public health experts, policymakers, and the larger community,” the statement read. “This information will be submitted to DSHS any time there is a positive case in a campus community.”
TEA is still working to gather input from school officials, and will finalize the reporting process in the coming days, according to the statement.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told superintendents of the requirement Thursday afternoon, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Earlier this month, both agencies had told the Dallas Morning News that discussions were still taking place over whether to collect data on COVID-19 cases reported in schools.
“We are studying the new guidance and will do whatever is required and we will continue our protocol of working with Tarrant County Public Health,” Clint Bond, a spokesman for the Fort Worth district, wrote in an email Thursday.
Under TEA’s public health guidance, districts must notify all teachers, staff and students if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified on campus, in addition to the local public health department. Schools must also close off any areas that were heavily used by the person who tested positive until they can be cleaned or unless more than seven days have passed since they have been on campus.
Even before schools opened their doors, districts have encountered COVID-19 cases. An unknown number of Keller ISD teachers who had attended an Aug. 3 meeting had been asked to quarantine after one of 40 speakers had tested positive for COVID-19, the district said.
Public health experts have said it’s inevitable COVID-19 cases will spread in schools, especially with Texas’ still high level of spread.
In late July, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued non-binding guidance that said local health authorities could not issue blanket orders to close schools “for the sole purpose of preventing future COVID-19 infections.” In the wake of Paxton’s guidance, the TEA reversed course and said remote instruction would no longer be fully funded from the state under such an order.
Tarrant County’s school districts have taken varying approaches to how to start the school year. Fort Worth schools will remain online-only for four weeks starting Sept. 8. The Keller school board unanimously voted to delay the reopening of schools by a week to Aug. 26, and then allow parents to choose whether to send their kids to school or enroll them in virtual classes.
