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Welcome Back to School – Thursday, Aug. 12
Crowley ISD will begin the 2021-2022 school year with students returning to in-person instruction on Thursday, Aug. 12. We look forward to the first day of school with excitement about having students and staff back to classrooms, but also with a sincere commitment to ensuring student and staff safety and well-being.We will continue to consult with and review the guidance issued by the Texas Education Agency as well as local, state and national public health officials. Due to changing metrics and health trends, we anticipate possible changes and revisions to our operating procedures as the school year progresses. Updates will be provided as protocols can safely be changed. The following is a list of general guidelines to start our school year.
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A Message From Dr. McFarland
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Face Masks
Crowley ISD will temporarily require face masks to be worn inside all buildings and on school buses. This order is:
- Effective immediately for all employees.
- Effective beginning the first day of school for students, families and visitors.
Everyone two years of age and older will be required to wear masks for all indoor instruction and indoor activities to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant in our schools and community.
This current order is temporary and will be in effect in Crowley ISD through Aug. 27, 2021. During this time, the district will continue working closely with health officials to evaluate if the order should be extended another two weeks or allowed to expire based on medical guidance and current COVID-19 cases in our schools and community. -
Vaccines
CISD is working with vaccine providers to offer voluntary vaccination clinics to students, employees and community members who elect to receive them. All middle school and high school campuses will be hosting vaccine providers at their back-to-school events for any students 12 and older, their family members and CISD employees who are interested.
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Screening
Daily temperature checks will be conducted for students, employees and visitors. Staff and visitors will be required to complete a confidential self-screener online daily. Families are encouraged to screen students for COVID-19 symptoms at home before school. If you are sick, you should stay home.
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Handwashing and Sanitizing
Frequent handwashing will be encouraged. Hand sanitizer will be made available for all students, staff and visitors in all facilities and on buses.
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Cleaning and Disinfecting
Routine and frequent cleaning and disinfecting will continue at all district facilities buses. Facilities and buses will also be e-misted nightly with sanitizing spray. Campuses will notify the district and custodial services upon confirmation of a positive student case, at which time, additional campus and classroom sanitation will take place.
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Social Distancing
Students, staff and visitors are encouraged to practice physical distancing when possible. Desks should be spaced out three feet, when possible, to allow for social distancing. Efforts should made by campuses and student organizations to socially distance large groups of students and stakeholders in assemblies, common area, practices, etc.
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Rapid Testing and Contact Tracing
COVID-19 rapid testing will continue to be offered at CISD campuses for symptomatic individuals with parent consent.
Contact tracing will occur as necessary at all district campuses and buildings. Students and staff will likely not be required to quarantine if they have been fully vaccinated or were wearing a mask when the close contact occurred.
Students and staff will be encouraged to self-report when they have been exposed to COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19, or have received a positive diagnosis of COVID-19. Contact tracing will be conducted by the campus and school nurse to determine if any other students or staff members were in close contact.
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Communication
In the event of a positive COVID-19 case, communication will be provided to families in a manner deemed most effective by the CISD Director of Health Services while protecting the confidentiality of individuals and their healthcare information. At the elementary level, notification will likely be provided to class or grade level groups. At the secondary level where contact tracing will potentially be more difficult, notification will be made to individuals with a known exposure.
The COVID-19 dashboard on the CISD website will be maintained starting Thursday, Aug. 12 to track the number of lab-confirmed cases among students and staff at each campus.
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In-Person Learning
For the 2021-22 school year, all students will learn in person. Virtual learning options - synchronous and asynchronous - will not be available due to the following:
- The district safety protocols have been implemented with fidelity and have resulted in rare transmission of the virus as a result of these efforts.
- The learning and social and emotional needs of students are best served in person.
- Teachers will not be required to maintain both in-person and remote classrooms due to the undue burden required to maintain such an arrangement.
- The state no longer provides funding for districts to offer virtual learning.
Families with students who cannot physically attend in-person because they are medically fragile are encouraged to apply for medical homebound services.
