As the Omicron surge sickens even the vaccinated, local schools are working harder than ever to keep classrooms staffed.
Still. The announcements come almost daily that schools are being forced to shut down for several days because too many teachers and staff are out sick.
Larger districts, obviously, have more resources, but tell us that a lot is involved in keeping the doors open.In August, now-outgoing Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa even defied the governor’s order and mandated masks. Now, as Omicron surges, district leaders say that pandemic persistence and following safety protocols is paying off.
“We have kept our mask protocols in place,” explains Robyn Harris, DISD Executive Director of Communications, “and quite simply, that really has helped! And that’s one of the strongest reasons why we have been able to keep the doors open right now.”Dallas, North Texas’ largest school district, also admits to being helped by having a very deep bench accustomed to filling as many as a 1,000 teaching vacancies per day, even prior to COVID-19.
“So, the good thing is, we are prepared,” says Harris. “We have a plan in place, and we have already been using some of those strategies within our tool belt.” Dallas ISD continues to encourage vaccines for students and staff. They provide on-campus testing to quickly identify those who are ill… while also urging common sense precautions to stay well.“Make sure you maintain good hygiene,” adds Harris. “Washing hands, those things that we heard early in the pandemic still hold true today. We are going to have to watch and continue to do our part to insure we can have a safe and healthy space for children and students to operate in.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
COVID-19 surge at LAPD and Sheriff's Department keeps over 2,000 personnel at homeSome 1,134 LAPD employees are at home sick or quarantining, up 42% from early last week. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department had 874 personnel at home.
Read more »
Frisco ISD COVID-19 testing site has reopened after closing due to high demandFrisco ISD announced Thursday that it has closed its COVID-19 testing site at Kuykendall Stadium and will move to a location with greater capacity due to...
Read more »
Health officials believe Dallas County has reached peak of omicron surgeOfficials at the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation say Dallas County has reached the top of the mountain in the COVID-19 omicron surge.
Read more »
COVID-Free Tonga Turns Away Volcano Aid Flight After Positive Case on BoardSomeone on board recorded a positive COVID-19 test during the journey.
Read more »
Gov. Hochul’s proposed budget ensures MTA fare freeze through end of 2022Hochul and the MTA had previously pledged to keep fares frozen “indefinitely” as the transportation authority struggles to lure ridership back during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more »
North Texans hunker down as arctic weather chills regionSeveral outdoor COVID-19 testing sites closed early Thursday due to the frigid temperatures and some school districts opened doors well before the start of the day so students didn't wait outside.
Read more »