Dr. Stone updated parents and staff on August 26 with the latest information and developments related to health protocols. – Click here to watch the video. Highlights include:
- School has started and RISD has had two first days – Aug. 17 for in-person and Aug. 23 for virtual classroom option students.
- Overall, RISD is approaching 37,000 enrolled students, a number that typically grows through October. Just over 1,000 elementary students are participating in the virtual classroom option for the first grading period, which ends October 15.
- Student learning is in full swing in classrooms across the district.
- Dr. John Brooks, the Chief Medical Officer of the CDC’s COVID-19 response, held a conference call this week for area school superintendents and shared information about the studies and data that has led the CDC to advise K-12 schools to require masks for students and staff while indoors. RISD has requested the information for the purpose of sharing with stakeholders.
- The district has heard from people who are against masks, and we understand and respect their opinions. But RISD’s local and federal public health authorities continue to advise that one of the most effective ways we can keep schools open and students learning face to face is through a mask requirement, and that is the reason RISD requires masks while indoors.
- RISD is hopeful that this local decision to require masks remains lawful so that we can continue to make this important decision at the local level, based on local conditions and advice from the public health medical experts.
- As a reminder, RISD is basing its legal ability to require masks on a court ruling earlier this month in Travis County that stated that the provisions of Executive Order GA -38 concerning face coverings do not apply to Texas school districts.
- The August 26 ruling related to Bexar County does not apply to RISD.
- RISD’s COVID-19 notification portal is now live and reports positive cases in the district, by school. As of this afternoon, there are 34 COVID-positive employees and 126 positive student cases, and that information is updated daily.
- The back to school Blueprint is continually updated on RISD.org with the current guidance from both local and state health and education authorities and is the go-to place for information about RISD’s pandemic risk mitigation protocols.
- Unvaccinated students who have to miss in-person school as close contacts of positive cases, and students who test positive with mild symptoms, will have access to a COVID support teacher while away from school. Students can use their district device to continue learning RISD’s curriculum while at home.
- Thank you to everyone who is supporting students and teachers as learning is underway and we focus on the safety of all people inside our schools as the delta variant continues to spread and burden our healthcare system.
