TEA RELEASES NEW COVID-19 GUIDANCE FOR UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR

  

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released updated guidance on COVID-19 protocols for public schools ahead of the new school year.

Per the new guidance, school districts cannot require masks, but they must allow individuals to wear them if they choose to do so.

School districts will not have to conduct contact tracing, as the guidance says 2020-21 data shows “very low COVID-19 transmission rates in a classroom setting” and “lower transmission rates among children than adults.”

Districts will not need to issue broad notifications to parents about COVID-19 cases.  However, they must report positive cases to the local health department and the Texas Department of State Health Services.  Districts do need to notify the parents of students who are found to be close contacts of a positive case.

Students who have or test positive for COVID-19 must not attend school on campus until the conditions for re-entry are met.  Remote instruction may be provided during that time.

Parents of students who are considered close contacts can keep their children at home during the recommended 10-day period.  Those children can also receive remote instruction.