HOUSTON — It’s been less than a week since Judge Lina Hidalgo and Harris County Public Health announced a “roadmap to reopening” for area school districts to consider.
"We simply cannot responsibly open schools to in-person instruction right now,” said Hidalgo during a news conference.
They said that should only happen after the county’s “red level” alert is lowered.
That's something that would take, among other things, hundreds of fewer daily COVID-19 cases.
"It is a terrible place to be if we reopen schools, and just a couple of days later, they have to close,” said Dr. Umair Shah, Harris County Health Authority.
Shah learned how some districts feel about the recommendations thanks to a letter addressed to him. It's signed by the superintendents of Cy-Fair, Humble, Katy, Klein, Spring Branch, Clear Creek, Deer Park, Pasadena, Tomball and Huffman ISDs.
In it, they say the metrics outlined in the plan are “not attainable to resume in-person instruction” in the foreseeable future and add that indefinite closure “will be harmful to children” when it comes social isolation and other issues.
The letter also cites “mounting evidence regarding COVID-19 in children” and transmission to others.
"They’re not in a vacuum," said Zeph Capo, president of the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. "They are part of a county, they’re part of a community, they’re part of an area.”
AFT represents educators in a number of the districts listed on the letter.
Capo believes all Houston area districts should be guided by the same scientific data.
"If and when something happens, these individuals that have made these independent decisions under their independent authority are going to have to assume 100-percent of the liability,” Capo said.
The superintendents acknowledged the county also wants to return students to school as safely as possible. But they’re clearly not on the same page as far as when the right time might be.
Harris County Public Health released the following statement regarding the letter:
"Harris County Public Health (HCPH) has made it abundantly clear that current indicators are not safe to resume in-person school activities in Harris County due to COVID-19. HCPH has taken into consideration a variety of factors in making this decision including the importance of in-person activities for students. In-person activities for schools are indeed valuable for the social fabric of children and communities. Data and evidence remain the cornerstone of decision making.
"Since issuing the Harris County School Reopening Roadmap, HCPH has received a joint letter from several Harris County ISDs. In its guidance, HCPH has recommended that in-person activities be phased-in until community spread of COVID-19 declines. To monitor and inform phased-in approaches for in-person activities, HCPH has recommended a set of benchmarks and metrics to monitor for public health trends. These indicators do not mean that in-person activities for schools will be closed indefinitely until a vaccine is available and the pandemic is over. Rather it is up to all of us to assure that our schools can go back to in-person learning sooner than later.
"These recommendations are not taken lightly but are offered with the full Harris County community in mind. Ultimately, school leaders and administrators are responsible for using these metrics and making the decisions to resume in-person activities in a way that keeps schools, students, faculty and staff safe. HCPH remains committed to working with its partners in helping Harris County move forward with its goal of reopening schools safely, responsibly and sustainably."