10 superintendents respond to Harris County's school reopening roadmap
HOUSTON - The superintendents of 10 Harris County school districts wrote a letter in response to the county’s “Roadmap to Reopen Schools”, saying the metrics outlined are “not attainable to resume in-person instruction in the foreseeable future.”
Last week, Harris County Judge announced the guidelines for school districts. She said the plan spells out when it will be safe to for schools to reopen and what reopening will look like when that time comes.
The Roadmap to Reopen Schools recommendations are based on the Harris County COVID-19 Threat Level System, which tracks the level of COVID-19 transmission in the county. Harris County is currently at Red: Level 1, meaning "a severe and uncontrolled level of COVID-19". According to the Roadmap to Reopen Schools, at the current threat level, "all schools should be closed to in-person instruction and activities."
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The letter sent Tuesday to Harris County Public Health Executive Director Dr. Umair Shah was signed by the Superintendents of Schools from Clear Creek ISD, Cypress Fairbanks ISD, Deer Park ISD, Huffman ISD, Humble ISD, Katy ISD, Klein ISD, Pasadena ISD, Spring Branch ISD and Tomball ISD.
In the letter, the school district leaders say they share the goal of returning students to in-person instruction as safely as possible, but the county’s metrics are not attainable to resume in-person instruction in the foreseeable future.
The superintendents' letter states, "Schools have been closed for in-person instruction since March 2020 and continued indefinite closure as outlined in the Roadmap to Reopening Schools Plan will be harmful to children."
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The letter goes on to say that while they will continue to review health guidance, they plan to do what’s in the best interest of independent school districts.
Read the full letter from the superintendents:
“Dear Dr. Shah:
We appreciate you meeting with superintendents last week to share your recommendations and the Roadmap to Reopening Schools Plan. It is clear that we all have the same goal, which is to return students to in-person instruction as safely as possible. We thank you for the continued efforts of your departments on behalf of Harris County. With that said, we believe that the metrics outlined in the plan you have provided are not attainable to resume in-person instruction in the foreseeable future.
Schools have been closed for in-person instruction since March 2020 and continued indefinite closure as outlined in the Roadmap to Reopening Schools Plan will be harmful to children. The American Academy for Pediatrics (AAP) makes a compelling argument for the reopening of schools and advocates for students being physically present in schools. As stated by the AAP, Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, Policy makers must also consider the mounting evidence regarding COVID-19 in children and adolescents, including the role they may play in the transmission of the infection. SARS-CoV-2 appears to behave differently in children and adolescents than other common respiratory viruses, such as influenza, on which much of the current guidance regarding school closures is based.
As educational leaders providing for the well-being and educational needs of over a half million students, we cannot support your recommendation that would essentially require indefinite closure of schools to in-person instruction while awaiting a widely available COVID-19 medical countermeasure or greater staffing capacity at Harris County Public Health for contact tracing. We must balance the important aspects of student and staff health and well-being, along with fundamental educational needs of the children. Using guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Texas Education Agency, our school districts have worked diligently for many months to plan a responsible return to school and many health and safety measures are now in place to promote safe operations. As we consider the evolving conditions in our communities, we will continue to review the guidance of national, state, and local officials in order to make decisions in the best interest of our independent school districts. The safety and health of our communities is everyone’s priority, and we will continue to do our part to promote the overall health, safety, and wellness of our communities.”
In response, Harris County Public Health issued a statement reasserting that full in-person school activities are not yet safe. The statement goes on to says that, ultimately, school leaders and administrators are responsible for using the metrics to make decisions on resuming in-person activities in a way that will keep students and staff safe.
Harris County Public Health’s full statement:
"Harris County Public Health (HCPH) has made it abundantly clear that current indicators are not safe to resume in-person school activities in Harris County due to COVID-19. HCPH has taken into consideration a variety of factors in making this decision including the importance of in-person activities for students. In-person activities for schools are indeed valuable for the social fabric of children and communities. Data and evidence remain the cornerstone of decision making.
Since issuing the Harris County School Reopening Roadmap, HCPH has received a joint letter from several Harris County ISDs. In its guidance, HCPH has recommended that in-person activities be phased-in until community spread of COVID-19 declines. To monitor and inform phased-in approaches for in-person activities, HCPH has recommended a set of benchmarks and metrics to monitor for public health trends. These indicators do not mean that in-person activities for schools will be closed indefinitely until a vaccine is available and the pandemic is over. Rather it is up to all of us to assure that our schools can go back to in-person learning sooner than later.
These recommendations are not taken lightly but are offered with the full Harris County community in mind. Ultimately, school leaders and administrators are responsible for using these metrics and making the decisions to resume in-person activities in a way that keeps schools, students, faculty and staff safe. HCPH remains committed to working with its partners in helping Harris County move forward with its goal of reopening schools safely, responsibly and sustainably."