In-person and remote instruction to begin in HPISD on Sept. 8

 

Dear HPISD Families,   The Dallas County Health and Human Services department, based on guidance received from its School Public Health and Education Committee, announced today (Thurs. Aug. 20) that it is continuing to recommend that schools offer virtual instruction only after Sept. 8 for an unspecified period of time.   The recommendation takes into consideration county-wide prevalence of the COVID-19 coronavirus, rate of propagation in the community, the number of infections resulting in hospitalizations and ICU stays, and the capacity for hospitals and ICUs.   Obviously, we understand and respect the county’s recommendation and know that it was not made lightly. At the same time, we have been paying very close attention to infection rates in the two zip codes that are in HPISD. Those numbers have been among the lowest in Dallas County since the beginning of the global pandemic and continue to remain very low. As an example, there have been only five cases in one of our zip codes (75205) in the last week and just one case in 75225 during that time. Since the virus began, the infection rate in our two zip codes is less than 1%.   We have a plan in HPISD to begin in-person instruction in our schools beginning Sept. 8 and we are going to continue with that plan. We believe that the extremely low number of cases in our community combined with the numerous safety measures that have been put in place allow us to move forward with that plan.   As a reminder, those safety measures in place, based on recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Texas Education Agency, include:   Required face masks for all students and staff Plexiglass dividers in high traffic areas Age-appropriate partitions for use by all elementary students and in the cafeterias at MIS/HPMS and HPHS Screening and daily temperature checks for all employees Screening of children by their parents every day before school Hand sanitizer available at every entrance, cafeteria and in every classroom Increased opportunities for handwashing by students and staff Additional supply of PPE Enhanced cleaning protocols for facilities Upgraded air filters on order for every district facility Face shields on order for every staff member Limited the number of visitors on campus A hybrid schedule at HPHS that effectively cuts in half the number of students on campus every day Continuing to encourage the need for social distancing   In short, we strongly believe these significant efforts will continue to keep our students, staff and community safe. It should also be noted that, thanks to HPISD voters, our schools now have significantly more space than in years past.   Obviously, knowing full well the ability of this particular virus to spread quickly, we will be closely monitoring for any cases and will take appropriate action when necessary. As noted previously, closing down a school, a cluster of classrooms or even one classroom is a last resort but one that we will not be afraid to take, if necessary.   We will all need to keep doing our part. Physical distancing, avoiding crowds or gatherings, wearing face coverings in public places, washing hands frequently, and staying home if you have symptoms of COVID-19 are all things that we need to continue to do if we are going to give ourselves a true chance at making in-person instruction work over the long-term. We truly want this to work for everyone.   Let’s all continue to work together for a terrific year in Highland Park ISD.   Thank you,   Tom Trigg Superintendent