LISD's COVID-19 Response Plans for Remainder of School Year
LISD Families,
I am writing to update you on LISD’s COVID response plans for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. Although I am hopeful we are turning a corner on the need for significant restrictions in our schools, we are not there yet. LISD will maintain its current protocols and expectations, including the requirement to wear masks, through the end of the school year, or until Denton County Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide different guidance.
Even with Governor Abbott’s recent decision to remove the state-wide mask mandate, the Texas Education Agency has stated local school districts still have the authority to enforce health and safety protocols. Ultimately, I’m responsible for the health and safety of 50,000 students and 6,500 staff members, which I take very seriously.
LISD and other school districts have stated they would rely on the medical and health experts to determine and implement our health and safety protocols. I’m proud that schools in LISD and throughout Texas have been able to remain open with very few exceptions. My plan is to do everything possible to ensure that continues.
Families throughout our district have been gravely impacted by COVID-19, and we’ve experienced the loss of several LISD staff members and loved ones. Across Texas, more than 64,500 COVID-19 positive cases among school district staff and close to 120,000 COVID-19 positive cases among students have been reported since school reopened last August, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The impact is real, and it is personal.
As a longtime community member myself, I certainly understand there are various perspectives in the communities we serve regarding our decision to require masks, and I can respect the thoughts of those on both sides.
I want to thank you for entrusting LISD with the education of your children, and for partnering with us through this incredibly challenging time. This has certainly been a year none of us will soon forget and I am as ready as anyone to be back to our pre-COVID times.
Best,
Kevin Rogers, Ed.D
Superintendent of Schools
Lewisville Independent School District