Over the weekend I was asked what I was going to do to keep the schools safe. The answer lies with all of us. What are we going to do as a community to keep the schools safe?
That starts with each of us doing our part to keep each other safe. We have to distance, wear a mask and use good personal hygiene to slow the spread to have any real chance of keeping the schools safe.
I have been talking about this important topic for weeks. Every day, I report the increasing number of confirmed cases in the county, the state and the nation. Our nation has 4% of the world’s population, but over 25% of the number of global deaths, now exceeding 140,000.
Texas has the 4th highest number of cases in the nation, with over 337,000 confirmed cases.
In our county of approximately 25,000 people, we have over 240 cases and numbers go up every day. For the week of July 11-17 our positivity rate was a whopping 39.17%. So, what do we do about school?
The kids need to be in school. They need an education. However, when a large group gathers, especially five days a week, there is going to be an infection. That is why the governor’s latest executive order closed bars, limited restaurants and prohibited gatherings of tio or more.
We have great superintendents in this county and they have worked tirelessly to find ways to have safe schools. Virtual classes are a good option for many and on Friday, the TEA issued a new order which provides that schools may temporarily limit on-campus instruction for at least the first four weeks.
However, this does not work for everyone as there are many children who need in-class instruction, but that means getting students and adults from all walks of life back together.
There are a lot of options being considered by the various schools. For example, those who ride the bus to school will be required to social distance on the bus and those over 10 years of age will be required to wear a mask.
While at school in common areas, such as hallways and the like, masks will be mandatory for those over 10 years of age. Start times may be staggered and mealtimes may be staggered to reduce the gathering size. Visitors and parents may be excluded from campus, and students and teachers will be screened for the virus every day, including having their temperature taken.
On a positive note, we can keep the kids safe, but that means we must all do our part. This pandemic is much bigger than county government or the school districts. It is our problem. It is the problem of every citizen of this county. And every citizen of this county has the tools to fix the problem and it is not hard.
Social distance, wear a mask and use good personal hygiene. Don’t make excuses, do your part, slow the spread and the kids will be safe at home and at school.
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