With the continued surge of Covid-19 cases across the region, officials with Region 19 released the ‘Campus Attendance Plan’ the organization developed with the help of local school districts, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and support from the El Paso Delegation and Health Authorities.
The plan, initiated to address the safety of students, teachers and school staff, allows for school districts to continue to offer remote instruction for all families.
“School districts will mitigate on-campus instruction based on tri-county hospitalization information from the Texas Department of State Health Services,” Region 19 officials shared.
The hospitalization rates are categorized in four types of emergency percentage Zones which impact the day-to-day operations of school districts. The counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson are currently in the Red Zone with a hospitalization rate of 32%.
All school systems in the region will take steps to implement this as a minimum framework no later than Monday, November 9, 2020.
To assist with adoption, rapid COVID-19 testing will be made available for those districts to coincide with the start (or continuation of) on-campus instruction.
“Since we are currently in the Red Zone, any school system already offering on-campus instruction to priority students will have testing made available to them,” officials added. “As districts move into different Zones, testing will be made available for on-campus staff and students.”
Region 19 officials added that, “Funding, regardless of instructional delivery method offered, will continue.”
For additional information about school safety zones, testing and updates from the TEA, visit their website.
