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Falling Enrollments, Failure Rates
Impact Districts in Wake of Pandemic
Students failing virtual classes plus low virtual and in-person enrollments are adding up to a crisis for many Texas districts.
The Texas Tribune, for instance, reported (Oct. 23) that high failure rates of students learning virtually have caused many districts to drop options for virtual learning and require students to return to in-person instruction.
Many districts are also reporting that their in-person enrollments have been less than expected, possibly over fears of exposure to COVID-19.
Houston ISD, the state’s largest district, recently changed its policy to require closing a campus for deep cleaning when there are two — instead of one — “presumptive positive” or confirmed COVID-19 cases. The announcement came after the district abruptly closed 16 campuses due to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Reports of cancelled and postponed UIL competitions abound. In El Paso, the site of one of the nation’s worst outbreaks of COVID-19, the El Paso and Socorro ISDs collectively announced they are temporarily suspending all athletics, fine arts and other extracurricular programs in accordance with a recommendation by the El Paso County Judge, who had also ordered a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily curfew for El Paso County.
Dallas media recently reported that more than 60 football games in the North Texas area have been cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19 thus far.
A “Sucker Punch”
In other news, state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who has joined fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in demanding the governor completely open all of Texas, issued a statement criticizing the cancellation of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo due to concerns over COVID-19 and the flu. Miller said the show’s cancellation was a “sucker punch” to the young men and women in the state’s school agricultural programs who will be unable to exhibit their livestock.
Also, the governor announced (Oct. 22) that the state has secured nearly 3 million flu vaccines to be administered at no charge to Texas children and adults who meet low-income and other specified criteria, such as not having health insurance.
“The flu vaccine is an effective way to prevent the spread of influenza, and expanding access to this vaccine is especially important this year so that our health care systems can focus on treating COVID-19 patients,” Gov. Abbot said.
As of press time, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported that as of Sept. 28 (updates posted here), there have been 12,765 positive COVID-19 cases reported for students in K-12 schools and 8,248 positive staff cases.