No Remote Learning at LGISD This Year; Face Coverings are Optional

Unlike Last Year, There’s No Quarantine Requirement for Those Who Have Had Close Contact With a Positive COVID Case

La Grange Independent School District sent a letter to parents last Friday outlining the district’s plan for dealing with COVID in the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Bill Wagner said the district has been planning for 100 percent in-person learning. The district posted a detailed plan online at https://bit.ly/3idueie.

“(...) the district is planning to return to a normal (prepandemic) status as much as possible even with the recent increases in the number of COVID cases due to the new variant,” Wagner said. “The State of Texas will not fund a remote learning option, so all students will be required to return to in-person learning for the new school year.”

Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order back in May prohibiting schools from requiring masks or any type of face coverings for students and staff.

“Individuals may voluntarily wear a face covering if they choose to to so,” Wagner said. “The CDC has recommended that students and staff wear a face covering, but again, there is no state requirement to do so.”

Wagner asked parents to report confirmed cases to the school nurses. He said the district is required to report positive cases to the state.

The school will also change quarantine and notification policies.

“We will not conduct close contact tracing and there are no requirements for quarantining individuals who had close contact or were exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID,” the letter stated. “There will no longer be school wide notifications for positive cases or posting of positive cases on the website.”

He said the district will continue to send home students who have a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, who have lost taste or smell or display symptoms of illness. In addition, he said anyone who tests positive for the virus should self-isolate for 10 days.