Masks are requested for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. Although we are not legally able to require masks, we are asking all families who are willing to do so to send students to school in masks. We will make the same request of our staff.

We have received many questions regarding a recent update from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and a Texas Supreme Court ruling, but neither overrides the governor’s order prohibiting mask mandates. 

Until the legal challenges to multiple conflicting mask orders are decided, and clear guidance provided, LISD will continue to make masks optional. As we’ve witnessed the past two years, plans can change quickly, so we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as warranted.

Masks are requested for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. Although we are not legally able to require masks, we are asking all families who are willing to do so to send students to school in masks. We will make the same request of our staff.

We have received many questions regarding a recent update from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and a Texas Supreme Court ruling, but neither overrides the governor’s order prohibiting mask mandates. 

Until the legal challenges to multiple conflicting mask orders are decided, and clear guidance provided, LISD will continue to make masks optional. As we’ve witnessed the past two years, plans can change quickly, so we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as warranted.

Masks are requested for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. Although we are not legally able to require masks, we are asking all families who are willing to do so to send students to school in masks. We will make the same request of our staff.

We have received many questions regarding a recent update from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and a Texas Supreme Court ruling, but neither overrides the governor’s order prohibiting mask mandates. 

Until the legal challenges to multiple conflicting mask orders are decided, and clear guidance provided, LISD will continue to make masks optional. As we’ve witnessed the past two years, plans can change quickly, so we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as warranted.

Families will need to contact the school nurse to notify them that their child has tested positive for COVID-19 and call the COVID Call Center. For the phone number and hours of operation for the COVID call center, visit LISD.net/ccc.

Students will be required to isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms OR 10 days from a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test. Students who are positive for COVID staying out 10 days is due to the fact that TEA aligns their public health guidance for students with the Texas DSHS requirements which has a 10 day exclusion period. TEA updated their guidance for staff allowing them to return in 5 days fairly soon after CDC updated their guidance. Both CDC guidance and Denton County Health guidance that allow for a 5 day return indicate that the person should wear a mask for the next 5 days and while managing that with staff is possible, with students that becomes more challenging. 

Beginning Jan. 19, 2022, LISD updated notification practices when there is a positive case in a student’s classroom. The district believes this is an appropriate and necessary procedural shift at this time, and is reflective of the reality that COVID and other communicable diseases are part of our daily lives and in our public schools. 

Elementary
Families will now receive notification of any positive COVID case reported in your student’s homeroom class, but campuses will no longer send daily campus updates or close contact notifications.

Should you receive notification of a positive case in your child’s class, we ask that you closely monitor your child for symptoms of COVID in the days following and keep them home with any signs of illness. 

Middle and High School
Middle and high school campuses will no longer send daily campus updates or close contact notifications, except in limited circumstances for extra-curricular teams and special education classrooms.

On the LISD website you will find a campus-by-campus COVID Tracker, which is updated on a daily basis with the most current information available. Families at all levels are encouraged to check the district website to keep up with the cases at your student’s campus.

Yes, absences for the quarantine period will be excused. All absences are still subject to the 90% attendance rule.  We will be happy to provide the work for students as with any absence or illness. Students can access classwork through CANVAS,  but students will not be able to participate through remote instruction through Webex sessions while live classroom instruction is happening, as remote instruction is not available to districts this school year.

While we cannot require students or staff to quarantine if they have been exposed, LISD believes that is the best practice to lower the spread of COVID. TEA guidance indicates that 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. Of course, we expect any student or staff with symptoms of illness to stay home.

If a student is in elementary school and if they share a home with any individual who is lab-confirmed COVID positive they will be required to quarantine.  Please contact the COVID call center (hours of operation) to report this. Families will receive the student’s plan and quarantine dates through the call center; absences for the mandatory quarantine period will be excused.  If the student is exposed, they can test out of quarantine on day 5 and return to school on day 6 with a negative COVID test. If a student exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, they will be required to quarantine/isolate for 10 days.  Please contact your campus nurse to share your Covid Call Center plan and any negative test that might allow your student to return sooner than the 10 day quarantine dates.

If a student is in elementary school and if they share a home with any individual who is lab-confirmed COVID positive they will be required to quarantine.  Please contact the COVID call center (hours of operation) to report this. Families will receive the student’s plan and quarantine dates through the call center; absences for the mandatory quarantine period will be excused.  If the student is exposed, they can test out of quarantine on day 5 and return to school on day 6 with a negative COVID test. If a student exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, they will be required to quarantine/isolate for 10 days.  Please contact your campus nurse to share your Covid Call Center plan and any negative test that might allow your student to return sooner than the 10 day quarantine dates.

The Covid Call Center (469.444.3558) will be open through the first six weeks of school.  Parents/guardians may call for any questions related to their child's illness or exposure.   Students will receive excused absences with a doctor’s note for sickness due to lab confirmed COVID-19. 

Temperature for COVID is defined as 100.4

No. Offering virtual learning is a much more complex situation than just hiring more teachers, or allocating more money for virtual learning. 

If the district made the decision to offer virtual learning, a very small number of students would be accommodated. In-person class sizes would increase, current class schedules and teachers would be adjusted, and additional teachers would need to be hired. Like most surrounding districts, LISD is still trying to fill teaching vacancies, without factoring the additional teachers needed for a virtual program into our hiring plans. 

We saw last year that the virtual learning offered was met with a great number of concerns and criticisms. Our teachers were stretched thin as they were moved back and forth between virtual and in-person learning. Taking away resources from in-person learning to create a very limited virtual learning program does not seem feasible or sustainable at this time. We have analyzed this extensively and are prioritizing in-person learning.

On August 5, 2021, the TEA issued guidance allowing school districts to provide remote conferencing (or remote learning) for students who are absent due to illness or close contact. Upon initial review, it appears it will be extremely difficult for LISD to provide remote conferencing. TEA guidance specifically prohibits concurrent learning, which means students cannot join their classroom live through remote instruction. The district will continue to analyze the TEA guidance and provide updates soon.

The legislation (HB 1468) providing the necessary funding for public schools to offer virtual (remote) learning was not passed during the regular 87th Texas Legislative Session. The session ended before voting could take place, and the TEA does not have the authority to allow schools to receive funding for full-time virtual learning.

Unfortunately, the legislation (HB 1468) providing the necessary funding for public schools  to offer virtual (remote) learning was not passed during the regular 87th Texas Legislative  Session. The session ended before voting could take place, and the TEA does not have the authority to allow schools to receive funding for full-time virtual (remote) learning. The only option for learning is for students to attend in-person and will be counted absent for any time they are home due to illness.

Starting Monday, Aug. 30, all lab-confirmed positive cases reported to campus and/or district personnel will be tracked on a daily (Monday-Friday) basis at LISD.net/covidtracker. The first daily update will be Tuesday, Aug. 31 and will reflect Monday’s cases. Case numbers will be updated everyday for cases reported to the district for the day prior. Cases reported to the district on Friday’s will be updated the following Monday. The tracker is not a real-time system.

In addition to some mitigation practices used last year, such as increased cleaning measures including electrostatic cleaning of all classrooms, the district is now utilizing air purifiers with H13 True HEPA filtration in every elementary classroom and 6th grade classroom, and is in the process of expanding that to all middle school cafeterias. These stand alone air purification units will supplement current HVAC filtration systems already operating in the classrooms. These air purification units remove 99.9% of particles which allows for the capture of virus carriers. The air will be filtered every 30 minutes.

Yes, LISD will continue this practice that started last year.

Since vaccines are not available for children younger than 12, physical distancing will be utilized into cafeteria seating arrangements for elementary schools. This means space to accommodate visitors eating with students is limited, therefore, there will be no visitors allowed to eat lunch with students for the first nine weeks. This practice will be reviewed prior to the 2nd nine weeks.

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, LISD implemented mitigation tiers for elementary and middle schools. For more information, visit LISD.net/esmitigation or LISD.net/msmitigation.

The district will not be implementing additional mitigation measures for high schools at this time. LISD will continue to monitor the situation and collaborate with our high school administrators about necessary mitigation measures at their specific schools. High school campuses will adjust special events and other situations on a case-by-case basis.

The district will maintain as best as possible physical distancing in elementary schools since students younger than 12 are not able to receive the vaccine.

Yes.  Elementary schools will continue to dispense hand sanitizer to students upon arrival to the school building. Hand sanitizing stations will continue to be available throughout all LISD campuses. Regular opportunities for hand washing will be available to students.

Yes. There are no limitations to deliveries for this school year. 

Elementary and Middle School only: Since vaccines are not available for children younger than 12 and physical distancing will be incorporated into cafeteria seating arrangements the space to accommodate visitors eating with students is limited. Therefore, for the first nine weeks there will not be visitors allowed for eating lunch with students, this practice will be reviewed for changes prior to the 2nd nine weeks.

Yes.  Desk shields will need to be available in classrooms for use by students.  

Students can request the use of a shield from their classroom teacher.

Principals cannot accommodate specific requests for students to be with teachers who are vaccinated, as the district cannot collect information on which teachers are vaccinated.  

Principals cannot accommodate specific requests for students to be placed in classrooms with other children who are wearing masks or with a teacher who chooses to wear a mask.  

For any other requests related to safety measures a parent/guardian may reach out to the campus principal, however it is important to note that not all requests can be accommodated or may be feasible.

The Governor’s order GA-35, reinforced by GA-38, indicates that no governmental agency (school districts included) can compel an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and we cannot require documentation regarding the vaccination status for COVID-19.

The Governor’s order GA-35, reinforced by GA-38, indicates that no governmental agency (school districts included) can compel an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and we cannot require documentation regarding the vaccination status for COVID-19.

No. The school district cannot mandate that staff wear masks and it is the individual choice of the teacher whether they choose to wear a mask. The vaccination status of a teacher or staff member is confidential information and will not be provided to parents. Staff have been directed to not answer these types of questions should they be asked.

Please contact the school nurse for resources regarding vaccination.