The CDC reported an average of 344 kids in the U.S. were admitted to the hospital every day between Dec. 21 and Dec. 27.
DALLAS — When she went home for the holiday break, a staff member at a school district in Collin County said she wasn’t worried about COVID-19’s impact returning to the classroom.
“I really had no concerns,” she said.
She’s asked to be kept anonymous but said the recent uptick in cases, with the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant, changed things.
“I know so many people who have it, and they’re kids and teachers and just friends,” she said.
WFAA reached out to 32 North Texas school districts to ask whether or not they had plans to implement new COVID protocols or change current procedures. With staffs out for the break, very few responded.
Denton, Forney, Joshua and Garland ISDs all said they’re monitoring case numbers in their communities and don’t have current plans to implement new COVID protocol or adjust procedures.
“It is a difficult time,” Claudia Garibay, with Fort Worth ISD, said. “There are different changes that are shifting at the moment.”
Garibay said FWISD is working with the city and Tarrant County and will follow their lead and guidance.
Cook Children’s in Fort Worth and Children’s Hospital in Dallas each reported the number of pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19 more than doubled from last week.
The CDC reported an average of 344 kids in the U.S. were admitted to the hospital every day between Dec. 21 and Dec. 27.
Melissa Valdez has an 11-year-old son in Dallas ISD.
“I think it’s important for kids to go back to school, especially after this long break I think kids and parents are looking forward to it,” Valdez said.
Her son is vaccinated, but she said she supports kids wearing masks in the classroom.
DISD was one of the first, and few, districts in the state implement a mask mandate. It’s set to be lifted in January, but Valdez said she thinks that will be extended.
“I do think keeping the mask mandate in place is likely the right thing to do as we go into January,” Valdez said.
There is still time for districts to update policies or reinforce safety protocols. The educator in Collin County said she would feel more comfortable if the emphasis on cleaning she saw at the beginning of the school year would return.
“One little person gets it in a class, and it spreads so quickly, and then, are we going to shut down again,” the educator in Collin County said.
She said she believes districts are doing the best they can, but she said she noticed, with time, staff members getting more lax with cleaning procedures.
Most districts will welcome students back to the classroom Wednesday, with a few starting back on Tuesday and Thursday.