A Travis County judge says the Houston Independent School District can continue mandating masks to protect students and staff from COVID-19.
The judge’s ruling extends a temporary restraining order banning Governor Greg Abbott from enforcing his prohibition on mask mandates in Texas schools.
Continue readingWith the return to in-person instruction for all HISD classes on Monday, Aug. 23, the district’s COVID-19 dashboard will be reset to reflect confirmed cases for the new school year to better inform the community.
The online dashboard will continue to track the number of confirmed COVID-19 student and staff cases by campus as originally designed to ensure transparency. The reset version will go live as the first day of school begins.
“We are in the midst of a pandemic, so we want to assure our parents and the community that all information is provided and updated in a timely fashion,” HISD Superintendent Millard House said. “The dashboard is an effective way to share information to staff members and families.”
The dashboard will continue to be updated daily, allowing users to review student and staff data by location and districtwide. The map showing where cases are throughout the district will also be updated. As new data for the school year is added, current cases will be displayed for the most recent 14 days.
The dashboard will strictly follow all applicable privacy laws as it relates to the release of personal health information.
To view the COVID-19 dashboard, go to HoustonISD.org/COVID19Dashboard.
For more information on HISD’s Back to School Plan, visit HoustonISD.org/ReadySetGo.
The Houston Independent School District Board Of Education approved a stipend program that gives employees a one-time $500 stipend for those who show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. On Thursday, the board also approved additional Covid-19 leave time if needed for isolation.
Once approved by TEA, to get the stipend, employees must submit their proof of vaccination to Health and Medical Services by Nov. 19, 2021. Additional guidelines will be shared with employees soon.
Continue readingThe following letter from Superintendent House was distributed on the night of August 5 to HISD parents, staff, and community members:
Dear HISD Community,
The health and safety of our students and staff continues to be our guiding compass in all of our decisions. As a result, during tonight’s agenda review meeting, I announced that I will propose a mask mandate for students, staff, and visitors at all schools, buses, and facilities to be voted on next week by the Board of Education. The mask mandate will become effective upon Board approval during next Thursday’s board meeting, August 12. In light of the announcement by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to raise the COVID-19 threat level to “red,” additional safety measures are needed to protect our students, staff, and families.
The mask mandate applies to everyone regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated. In partnership with health officials, three HISD schools are offering vaccinations this Saturday. If your child is 12 or older, I encourage parents to stop by and get a shot. No appointments are necessary.
The 2021-2022 school year begins on August 23, and we will continue to monitor the situation and work with health officials for frequent updates, which we will share with you. The safety of all HISD staff and students continues to be our top priority.
Sincerely,
Millard House II
HISD Superintendent
HISD families now have until July 31 to complete the application necessary to receive the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time benefit for families who lost access to free or reduced-price meals due to school closures.
The application is available online at yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT.
The $1 billion benefit program was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to help eligible families buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time benefit of up to $285 will be issued on an EBT card, which can be used as a debit card to assist families in buying food from any retailer that accepts the Texas Lone Star Card.
Continue readingFollowing a statewide call on Tuesday between school district superintendents and Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, I wanted to provide an update on plans for the 2020-2021 school year – which remain to be finalized.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the situation remains fluid as we try to determine next steps on what the school year will look like. During his presentation, the commissioner emphasized that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is working with Gov. Greg Abbott’s medical advisors to establish public health guidance for school districts. While preliminary information has been provided by TEA, final guidance will not be available until mid-July.
Continue readingThe Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center located at 4400 W. 18th St. will close Monday, June 8 at 1 p.m. due to a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus.
The closure will allow time for the support facility to undergo a deep cleaning and sanitization before re-opening for regular business hours on Tuesday, June 9.
Though few employees have been in the office, those who were impacted are being notified and instructed to self-quarantine in accordance with public health guidelines.
Continue readingDozens of cars were already lined up at McReynolds Middle School on Tuesday when Nutrition Assistant Shondrica Crenshaw arrived for her shift.
Clad in a face mask and gloves, she quickly joined her co-workers, assuming a spot six feet from them as she began placing bags of food in the trunk of each car that drove up.
“I’m more than excited to be out here,” Crenshaw said. “We’re all going through a lot right now. It’s a blessing to be able to give back.”
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