HOUSTON – The Texas Education Agency has issued new guidance on COVID-19 safety protocols for the new school year.
Here are the following key points the guidance addresses:
- Per Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order, school districts are not allowed to mandate masks. However, they must allow students to wear them if the students choose to wear them.
- Schools must exclude students who have tested positive for COVID-19 from attending classes.
- Schools may offer remote instructions to students during the time the student is out of school.
- Parents are asked to keep their children home if they have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive.
- Schools are allowed to do regular COVID testing for staff and, with permission from parents, test students.
- School districts will not be required to conduct contact tracing.
- If school systems are made aware that a student was in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, the school system should notify the student’s parents.
- 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.
- During the stay-at-home period, the school system may deliver remote instruction.