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COVID-19 Prevention, Mitigation, and Response Procedures at Hawkins ISD


Posted Date: 08/23/2021

COVID-19 Prevention, Mitigation, and Response Procedures at Hawkins ISD

UPDATED:  COVID-19 Prevention, Mitigation, and Response Procedures at Hawkins ISD 

September 3, 2021

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The Texas Education Agency issued a new Public Health Guidance document to address updated mandates and recommendations for the mitigation of COVID-19 in our schools and community.  These mandates and recommendations take effect immediately, replacing all prior guidance.   Hawkins ISD is committed to informing our parents/guardians, students, staff and community as guidelines are changed through TEA and our local governmental agencies. TEA strongly encourages all who qualify to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.   

 

This document outlines the procedures our campuses will have in place to prevent or mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to respond if a positive case is identified. 

Positive Lab-Confirmed Cases of COVID19 or Showing Symptoms

Conditions for return to school after an individual shows symptoms or gets a positive test result:

 

Either:

  • 24 hours with no fever; and

  • Symptoms improved; and

  • 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

Or:

  • A doctor’s note indicating an alternate diagnosis and COVID-19 negative.  The district nurse can also provide a Rapid Covid Test with parent permission.  See the District Website for scheduling information. 

  • If a student receives a positive test from a rapid test done at school, and then receives a negative test result with a PCR test, a student may be allowed to return to school before the 10 days are completed.   For example, if the student had been asymptomatic before testing, the student would be considered for immediate return.  If the student exhibited symptoms prior to being tested, he/she may be required to wait 3 days for another test to confirm a negative result.  The final decision will be determined on a case-by-case basis with all pertinent information being considered.  


 

Close Contact

The CDC has updated their guidance stating that the stay-at-home period can end for students experiencing no symptoms on DAY 10 after close contact exposure, if no subsequent COVID19 testing is performed. Alternatively, students can end the stay-at-home period if they receive a negative test result from a PCR Acute Infection Test after the close contact exposure ends. The school district will do NO contact tracing.   We will leave it up to the parent or legal guardian to decide if a student needs to quarantine due to close contact.  Parents of students who are determined to be close contacts of an individual with COVID-19 may opt to keep their students at home during the recommended stay-at-home period.  If a parent decides to send their children to school in the two weeks following exposure, it is encouraged that the parent closely monitor their children for symptoms.  

Close Contact through Proximity and Duration of Exposure: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). 

  • Except in certain circumstances, people who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should quarantine. However, the following people with recent exposure may NOT need to quarantine:

 

Staff members will not conduct close contact reviews, and students and staff will not be required to quarantine for exposure.  

Staff members who may have had close contact with a Covid-19 positive person shall report to the school nurse;  the staff member will be tested by the school nurse every two days for 10 days IF they choose to return to work.   Again, close contact is determined by the staff member and not by the school district or school personnel.  

 

Mitigation

Our district will be taking the following steps across each of our campuses to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

  • Masks will be optional for students, staff, and visitors.  Campuses will work to ensure no person is treated differently as a result of their choice to wear or not wear a mask.

  • Staff and students will continue to be expected to wash their hands frequently throughout the day.

  • Our school nurse will meet with students in classes to review proper hand washing hygiene and other health related options to help mitigate the spread of infectious diseases.   

  • Parents and employees will continue to be required to report confirmed positive cases of COVID19 to the campus administration or their supervisor. 

  • Staff and students with a confirmed case of COVID19 must quarantine for 10 days from the date of symptom onset or positive test if no symptoms.

  • For elementary, parents will be notified when there is a positive case in their student’s class.  We will also inform parents whose students might have come in contact with a student who tested positive at school in classes such as PE, music, or any other area at school.    For secondary, parents will be notified when there is a positive case on campus.

 

Our Counts of Current Cases 

Check out our news article regarding daily counts of cases.  This chart updates daily as new cases are reported.  Go to Hawkins ISD website and click on news articles.  

 

Athletics and Extracurricular Activities

Athletics and extracurricular activities will resume normal processes in 2021-2022. Extracurricular activities will follow guidelines set forth by UIL and other related agencies and organizations. Field trips will resume in 2021-2022. All field trips will adhere to the health and safety guidelines established by TEA and HISD.

 

An important thing to note is that our campuses will be fogged every day to help control the spread of Covid-19.  Our night custodial crew will make sure all areas are fogged after the areas are thoroughly cleaned at the conclusion of every single school day.  

 

Self-Reporting COVID-19

Students and staff will be encouraged to self-report when they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have received a positive diagnosis of COVID-19.  To self-report, use this form: Employees of HISD: https://bit.ly/employeeself-report

Students of HISD: https://bit.ly/studentself-report

Rapid Testing 

HOW DO I GET MY CHILD TESTED?

  • Submit a self-report on our website if your child is displaying COVID-19 symptoms. (Testing is NOT mandatory and can only be administered with full parental consent.)

  • Schedule an appointment here: https://bit.ly/hawkinscovidtest

  • Arrive at your scheduled appointment time to have the test administered. (URGENT: Do not send your child to school if they are currently displaying symptoms of COVID-19.)

 

HOW MUCH DOES TESTING COST?

  • All testing is free and at no cost to the staff member/student.

  • Health insurance is not required.

 

Our HISD test administrator will call to share results after the test has been administered and/or the results will be shared with you via email and text message within 30-60 minutes. The results will also be shared with the school/district and with the local health department to allow for public health reporting, and to determine the stay-at-home period for individuals who test positive.

 

Temperature Checks  

The district conducts temperature monitoring each morning upon arrival to the campuses.  Any student with fever will be sent immediately to the nurse for isolation.

 

UIL Guidelines 

If a student has been diagnosed with COVID-19, he/she may not participate in UIL marching band or athletic activities until the student has been cleared by a physician.  

 

We hope that this information gives you confidence in our systems and our ability to stop the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us or visit our website at Strong Start.  

We want to keep you informed as changes arise.   As always, thank you for your support and for your help in keeping our campuses as safe as possible.  

 

Sincerely,

Susan Morton, Interim Superintendent

Stephanie McConnell, Assistant Superintendent