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Current Status: Green
The information below is Pearland ISD's health response protocols. Due to changing metrics and health trends, we anticipate possible changes and revisions to our operating procedures as the school year progresses.
Pearland ISD will continue to consult with and review the guidance issued by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as well as local, state and national public health officials. Additionally, any order issued by the governor’s office will be followed. Due to changing metrics and health trends, we anticipate possible changes and revisions to our operating procedures as the school year progresses. When Pearland ISD looks to modify operation, a committee of professionals will review multiple indicators and strategies to determine our COVID-19 response, to ensure a healthy and safe environment for our students, staff and community. CDC guidance emphasizes students should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place. Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction is a priority.
Pearland ISD will review COVID-19 data from Brazoria County and individual district facilities as indicators for appropriate operational response. The Superintendent will make decisions to adjust COVID-19 response based on the data. The indicators on the Pearland ISD Indicators and Thresholds chart are not a comprehensive list of the indicators used to make operational decisions. Pearland ISD will weigh all factors before an operational decision is made.
Pearland ISD Indicators and Thresholds
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The district will use several indicators and thresholds to make decisions on COVID protocols, including but not limited to community positivity rate, vaccination rates, hospital rates, and local clustering and outbreak data. Not one indicator will be used, and the district will weigh all factors and collaborate with local and state authorities, before any decisions are made to change protocol levels.
View Pearland ISD's Indicators and Thresholds
Response Levels
General Health Protocols
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- All individuals are responsible for ensuring that a daily health self-screening occurs prior to boarding school transportation or entering a facility.
- All individuals should practice appropriate hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.
- Practice thorough hand washing and remind students to wash their hands as often as possible for 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer when hand washing is not feasible.
- Improve ventilation to the extent possible to increase circulation of outdoor air, increase the delivery of clean air and dilute potential contaminants.
- Routine and frequent cleaning and disinfecting will continue at all district facilities including on school buses.
- Custodial staffing will focus on the cleaning of high touch surfaces.
- Deep cleaning process after report of positive case.
Prevention & Mitigation Strategies
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Masks
Pearland ISD recommends following CDC prevention steps for masking all students, staff and visitors while indoors.
As directed by the Governor's Executive Order issued May 18, 2021, Pearland ISD cannot mandate masks.
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Social Distancing
CDC recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risk.
When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, it is especially important to layer multiple prevention strategies.
Heightened mitigation will be deployed when classroom clusters are identified or the highest risk levels of transmission are reached.
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Food Service
CDC recommends, given very low risk of transmission from surfaces and shared objects, there is no need to limit food service approaches to single-use items and packaged meals. Pearland ISD will return to normal line service with mitigating efforts.
- Normal cafeteria service. Students go through the service line to pick up lunch.
- Students are encouraged to wear masks when moving through the food service line.
- Students will be encouraged to space out as much as possible when going through the line and sitting at the cafeteria tables.
- Students should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer when entering the cafeteria.
- Additional spaces outside of the cafeteria for mealtime seating such as the classroom, gymnasium or outdoor seating can help facilitate distancing. Campuses will use outdoor space when available.
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Transportation
Physically distancing students can be a particular challenge on school buses and other vehicles that transport groups of students to school. Pearland ISD will use available options to promote safety and increase the distance between students and between students and the driver.
- Normal routing and service.
- Masks will follow CDC guidance (See Below)
- Hand sanitizer will be available on each bus.
- When possible, windows and roof vents will be opened while the bus is operating.
- Disinfecting after each route.
- When possible, siblings or students residing in the same household will be seated together.
Effective February 25, 2022, CDC is exercising its enforcement discretion to not require that people wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs.
CDC is making this change to align with updated guidance that no longer recommends universal indoor mask wearing in K-12 and early education settings areas with a low or medium COVID-19 Community Level.
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Water Fountains
- Normal water fountain use.
- The use of personal water bottles will be encouraged.
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Visitors
- General visitor access is allowed on each campus based on COVID-19 indicators and thresholds.
- General visitor access includes parent meetings, campus events, book fairs, field days, etc.
- General visitor access also includes access to the cafeteria or lunch.
- Due to capacity and available space, each campus will communicate individual lunch visitation plans. Campuses may place limits on the number of lunchtime visitors allowed.
- Any campus with positive case counts that place them at high risk of transmission in school (Orange or Red Levels) may have restricted visitor access.
- All visitors experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should not enter campus.
- All visitors will need to show their ID to be checked into the Raptor Visitor Management system to enter the school.
Due to the ever-changing nature of COVID-19, the district and campus administration will continue to monitor the conditions in our area. We are committed to keeping the lines of communication open and will keep stakeholders informed.
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Athletics, Fine Arts & Other Extracurricular Activities
- Practices and games/competitions will follow protocols established by UIL Guidelines. In-season and off-season activities will follow the most current guidelines available.
- No limit on audience/spectators for extracurricular events.
- Social distancing between students and audience/spectators is recommended.
- Try to play/practice/rehearse outside.
- Masks and social distancing are recommended for indoor events for participants and spectators.
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COVID-19 Vaccination
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Federal, State and local health authorities strongly encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible staff and students. COVID-19 vaccinations are not required by students or staff. Pearland ISD has collaborated with community health partners to provide opportunities and resources for vaccination. If a student gets vaccinated, please submit a copy of the vaccination record to the campus nurse so the school health record can be updated. Pearland ISD considers vaccination opportunities and resources to be an important mitigating effort in resuming normal school operations. Vaccine resources can be found on the Pearland ISD webpage: Health Services / COVID-19 Information
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COVID-19 Testing
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The CDC indicates that testing to identify individuals with COVID-19 infection helps to provide additional layers of COVID-19 protection in our schools. Pearland ISD will continue its partnership with TEA and approved vendors to provide testing, free of cost, to students on campus through campus nurses and to off-campus students and all employees at our Rapid Testing Center. COVID-19 testing on campus is never required. It is an opportunity to identify positive cases if COVID-19 symptoms are present quickly and conveniently. A consent form must be on file for a student to be tested. Pearland ISD staff that determine the need for testing will call the parent or guardian prior to testing, even when written consent is on file.
HOME TESTS: Pearland ISD will accept and report positive home test results for isolation of students and staff. We will accept negative home test results to clear an individual for return when excluded for COVID-19 symptoms. A photo of the home test should be sent to the campus nurse.
Additional COVID-19 testing information and testing sites can be found on the Pearland ISD webpage: Health Services / COVID-19 Information
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Isolation & Quarantine Timeframes
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Positive Case (Isolation)
- All positive cases will be reported by district staff to Brazoria County Health Department (BCHD).
- Parents and employees will continue to be required to report confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 to the campus nurse or their supervisor respectively.
- Classroom notification letters will be sent daily when positive cases are reported.
- Positive cases will be communicated through the Pearland ISD COVID Dashboard.
- Positive students are required to isolate for a minimum of 10 days and positive staff for a minimum of 5 days starting from the date of symptom onset. At least 24 hours must have passed since the resolution of fever without medication and other symptoms must have improved in order to return to school. TEA Public Health Guidance
- Symptom onset is counted as day zero or test date is counted as day zero for asymptomatic positive cases.
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Close Contacts (Quarantine)
- In alignment with TEA Health Guidance, Pearland ISD notifies all students in a classroom with a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 case.
- Individuals who quarantine because of close contact can quarantine and take a COVID-19 test on Days 5- 7 as recommended by health authorities. Individuals with known exposures should continue to monitor for symptoms for 14 days. Masks are recommended during this time.
- Asymptomatic, fully vaccinated close contacts do not need to quarantine at home following an exposure (they can continue to attend school in-person and participate in other activities) and should still self-monitor for symptoms and stay home if any develop. Vaccinated individuals can still be infected with the virus, but symptoms are typically less severe.
- Individuals with known close contacts are strongly encouraged to wear facemasks, prescreen for symptoms, self-monitor throughout the day, and socially distance as much as possible and should not be in any Pearland ISD facility if symptoms develop. Pearland ISD does not have the authority to enforce quarantine. If an individual chooses not to quarantine, mask use is highly recommended.
- CDC has a Coronavirus Self-Checker to help guide staff and student’s families in decision making regarding presentation of symptoms. CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker
FAQs
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Where and how do I get a COVID-19 Rapid Test?
Pearland ISD Rapid Testing Center is open for rapid testing of Pearland ISD employees and Pearland ISD students.
The weekly schedule for the Pearland ISD Rapid Testing Center is
Monday - Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Registration is required to receive a test. Please click the link.
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What positive cases are reported on the District Dashboard and how does a case become recovered?
Any student or staff member that is reported as a positive case is included on the District COVID-19 dashboard. Pearland ISD accepts positive case notifications from both rapid and PCR COVID-19 tests that have been conducted at school, by an outside medical professional, or through a home test.
Recovered cases are the number of Pearland ISD students or staff members who have reported a positive COVID test result to the district and have met the criteria for reentry (per Pearland ISD Flowchart) for the following school day. Recovered case counts include No Campus Exposure (NCE) cases that have been reported.
All positive cases are reported to Brazoria County Health Department and positive case statistics are reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
*No campus exposure cases denote Pearland ISD students and staff who have not been on campus during the infectious period due to quarantining or holidays, but are still reported as active cases to Brazoria County Health Department. This number is not included in the district total of active cases, but is included in the number of recovered cases.
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What should I do if I receive a COVID-19 Classroom Notification Letter?
A COVID-19 Classroom Notification letter informs you of possible close contact to a confirmed positive case.
Individuals should not be in any Pearland ISD school if symptoms develop. Please get in touch with the campus principal if you choose to quarantine as a possible close contact.
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Why did I receive a close contact phone call and what am I supposed to do?
Campuses may call students who are possible close contacts if the positive confirmed case review highlights students they eat lunch with, ride in a car to and from schools, or are associated with outside of the classroom setting during the school day. The classroom notification email process does not always notify these students and the campus calls to ensure parents have information to monitor students and reinforce mitigation measures.
Students that receive a phone call should follow the same close contact process. Individuals should not be in any Pearland ISD school if symptoms develop. Please get in touch with the campus principal if you choose to quarantine as a possible close contact.
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Are masks going to be required?
Pearland ISD recommends following CDC prevention steps for masking all students, staff and visitors while indoors.
As directed by the Governor's Executive Order issued May 18, 2021, Pearland ISD cannot mandate masks.
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Will there be a remote learning option for the 2021-22 school year?
Remote learning will not be offered by Pearland ISD for the 2021-22 school year.
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What are the cleaning procedures for the 2021-22 school year?
- Frequent cleaning of high-touch areas, including restrooms and cafeterias will occur throughout the school day by custodial staff.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout all buildings, in common areas and on school buses.
- Each campus will be cleaned nightly.
- In the event of an active COVID-19 positive case, Pearland ISD will conduct a cleaning of the affected area(s) in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
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Will students, employees and visitors need to self-screen prior to coming to a campus or district facility?
Yes. Parents and caregivers should monitor their children for signs of infectious illness each day. All students, employees and other visitors entering a Pearland ISD facility should complete a daily self-screen (see below) before leaving home. Students, staff, and visitors should not attend school if symptoms are evident.
According to the TEA, consider the following question when evaluating whether an individual has symptoms consistent with COVID-19: Has the person recently begun experiencing any of the following symptoms in a way that is not normal for the person?
- Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit
- Loss of taste or smell
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Headache
- Chills
- Sore Throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Exaggerated shivering
- Significant muscle pain or ache
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or Vomiting
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Will students be sent home for only fever or for any COVID symptom?
Students will be assessed by our school nurses and other clinic staff as needed and sent home if their symptoms could be due to COVID-19. Chronic conditions being managed under a physician’s care, and with medical orders on file in the school clinic, will be considered during the assessment. Students will need to follow the DSHS reentry criteria for return to campus. Updated DSHS exclusion criteria for Texas schools can be found here: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/IDCU/health/schools_childcare/Communicable-Disease-Chart-Schools-and-Childcare-Centers-073021.pdf
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Will there be COVID testing in the nurse's office this year?
Pearland ISD will continue its partnership with TEA and approved vendors to provide testing, free of cost, for students as supplies are available. COVID-19 testing on campus is never required. It is an opportunity to identify positive cases if COVID-19 symptoms are present quickly and conveniently. A consent form must be on file for a student to be tested. Pearland ISD staff determine the need for testing and will call the parent or guardian prior to testing, even when written consent is on file.
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How will my student receive instruction if they test positive or have to isolate?
At this time, students will have the opportunity to complete classroom assignments via Canvas for secondary students or SeeSaw for elementary students. Make-up work may also be provided by the classroom teacher.
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Updated 02/15/22
Important Information
- Pearland ISD Indicators & Thresholds
- COVID-19 Testing & Vaccine Resources
- Building Entrance Self Screening
- Building Entrance Self Screening Spanish
- COVID-19 Rapid Testing Student Consent Form
- COVID-19 Flowchart - Students
- COVID-19 Flowchart - Staff
- Flu Vs COVID-19
- Brazoria County Health Department
- Brazoria County COVID-19 map
- TEA School Health Operations Guidance
- Pearland ISD COVID-19 Health Protocols
- Pearland ISD Proceeding with Purpose