TEA reverses course on COVID case tracing

State agency’s new safety guidance requires schools to notify parents of student exposure

Texas schools now will be required to contact parents of children who are exposed to positive COVID-19 cases, per new guidance from the state.

The Texas Education Agency’s new safety guidelines for public schools released Thursday say that schools must notify all teachers, staff and families of students who are in contact with someone in a classroom or extracurricular activity who has a test-confirmed case of COVID. The new requirement is effective immediately.

TEA’s previously released COVID guidance said that schools should notify parents of kids in close contact with known cases, but did not require the practice.

The initial lack of a requirement drew swift criticism on social media and parents excoriated the education agency for giving schools too much latitude at a time when COVID-19 and its much more contagious delta variant are surging across the state. The virus is now sending children to hospitals at a higher rate than at any point in the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Michelle Woodard, whose daughter is enrolled at Groves Elementary School in Humble ISD, said it appeared the agency recognized how quickly COVID-19 is spreading across campuses.

“They are slow to make changes,” Woodard said.

Her daughter's class of 20, which started last week, already had four students who tested positive. Woodard wondered about a handful of other students who have been absent, but have not re

ported testing positive.

She also noted the agency's change regarding masks to include that further guidance will be released once pending litigation is resolved.

The guidelines say that face coverings are not being required in schools because of Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates. However, TEA is leaving room for that to change depending on the outcome of pending court battles over enforcement of the order. Dozens of school districts have implemented mask requirements in defiance of Abbott’s order. The governor and attorney general say they will challenge every mandate in court.

“Further guidance will be made available after the court issues are resolved,” the TEA guidelines say.

“Wearing a mask is so simple and there are so many people who are so against it,” Woodard said. “That is the thing the CDC has said is going to keep us the safest.”

On Thursday evening after the TEA guidance was released, the Texas Supreme Court temporarily struck down Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, clearing the way for school districts to require masks on campus.

Districts now must also notify local health departments of positive cases in addition to submitting reports regularly to the Texas Department of Health Services.

School systems still are not required to contacttrace COVID cases, but the guidelines say local public health entities have the authority to investigate the spread of the virus “and are currently engaged in cooperative efforts on that front.”

Public participation is voluntary for contact-tracing investigations.

Students who test positive, are suspected of contracting the virus or are actively sick with COVID must be excluded from going to campuses, the guidance says. The same requirements are in place for staff.

The requirements call for symptomatic people to be excluded from going to school buildings until at least 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms and the individual experiences 24 hours fever free without using feversuppressing medication and their symptoms improve.

Parents of kids who come into contact with someone who has the virus may opt their children out of staying home for the recommended 10 days, the new guidelines say.

“Parents who opt to send their children to school in the two weeks following exposure are encouraged to closely monitor their children for symptoms,” the document reads.

The new rules also require rapid testing at least once every other day for 10 days for fully vaccinated employees who want to continue working on campus after they find out they came into close contact with someone who has the virus.

For unvaccinated staff who are exposed to a positive case, TEA recommends but does not require them to quarantine for 10 days. If they wish to continue working in-person, they must also take the rapid tests.

Huma Hosain, whose unvaccinated 6 and 9 year olds attend Fort Bend ISD, said she would like more clarity from agency officials on quarantine requirements for students and teachers.

“I just think the TEA really needs to step up,” said Hosain. “This is about our kids and they need to realize that (children are) … every parents' most precious aspect of life, so they need to step up and act accordingly.”

The mother said the new rules about notifying parents when their children are exposed to someone with COVID was the minimum the agency should require.

“COVID has not gone away. It is very much still with us,” Hosain said. “Kids are human and they should be treated as such.”

Lee Nelson, parent of two students in Katy ISD, said the move to notify parents is “a step in the right direction.”

“I think it’s common sense to do that if they want to keep kids in school,” she said. “School shutdowns are happening across the state and the country right now.”

Nelson said there are still many gaps in preventing the spread of the virus in schools, including mask mandates. Nelson organized a petition to require masks in her district.

“(The school administrators’) approach shows a lack of concern for children and their well-being,” said Nelson. “It’s shameful. They’re supposed to be taking care of our children.”