Rockwall ISD: COVID-19 Response and Return to In-Person Learning 2021-22

ROCKWALL, TX (August 9, 2021) Rockwall ISD looks forward to the return of all students to in-person learning and general standard school operations for the 2021-22 school year. We have developed our plans with guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and our Local Health Authority (LHA). The following health related protocols will be in place for 2021-22 school year to help us all create a safe school environment and respond to the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Prevention Strategies
- Masks are encouraged for students, staff and visitors. Any person may choose to wear a mask. Per GA-38, school districts cannot require students or staff to wear a mask.
- Frequent hand hygiene throughout the school day is expected of all students, employees and visitors. All campuses have hand sanitizer and hand washing areas readily available.
- Social distancing will be implemented when possible, but it is not feasible in all situations. Campuses will do their best to accommodate parent requests to ensure their student remains socially distanced when possible.
Response to Positive COVID-19 Cases
- Parents and employees will continue to be required to report test-positive cases of COVID-19 to the school nurse, campus administration or their supervisor.
- Parents must ensure they do not send a child to school on campus if the child has COVID-19 symptoms or is test-confirmed with COVID-19, until the conditions for re-entry are met.
- Students and employees who are test-positive or diagnosed with COVID-19 must remain home for the 10-day isolation period. You may return when these conditions for re-entry have been met:
  - 10 days have passed since symptoms began or if asymptomatic since positive test result, AND
  - Fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-suppressing medication. Fever is a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) or higher, AND
  - Other symptoms have improved.
- Visitors will complete screening questions for COVID-19 symptoms during the RAPTOR check-in process and must remain off campus until they meet the above re-entry criteria.
- Parents will be notified when there is a positive case in their student’s class/grade who has been on campus. Employees will be notified when there is a positive case in their department/campus.
Response to COVID-19 Close Contact Exposures
- Parents will be notified when there is a test-positive case in their student’s class/grade who has been on campus.
- Staff will be notified when there is a test-positive case in their department/campus.
- Parents should monitor their child closely for symptoms of COVID-19.
- Staff should monitor themselves closely for symptoms of COVID-19.
- School districts are not required to conduct COVID-19 contact tracing.
- Students will not be required by school staff to quarantine due to a close contact exposure at school.
- Individuals who have had close contact with a test-positive person should quarantine as required by their healthcare provider or public health authority (LHA, Region 2/3 DSHS, Texas DSHS).
- 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.
- A medical note will be requested for quarantine-related absences.
From the Rockwall ISD website. (Updated 8/05/2021)

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