COVID-19 Support: Public Health Orders

2020 - 2021 School Year

FAQ and Guidance

Governor Abbott’s COVID-19 disaster declaration is still in effect. Governor Abbott declared a disaster due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13, 2020. A gubernatorial disaster declaration expires thirty days after its issuance, unless renewed, and Governor Abbott renewed the declaration on May 5, 2021.

• Public Health Guidance (PDF) June 3 2021
• SY 20-21 Reopening Guidance Summary (PDF) July 21 2020
• Training and Conditioning Guidance for Non-UIL Activities (PDF) June 9 2020

Tools, Templates and Resources

• SY 20-21 Communication Templates:  Beginning of Year, Symptom Screening, and Confirmed Case (Word) July 28 2020
• SY 20-21 Communication Templates: Beginning of Year, Symptom Screening, and Confirmed Case – SPANISH (Word) July 30 2020
• SY 20-21 Public Health Operational Guidebook (PDF) July 28 2020
• SY 20-21 Public Health Scenario Planning Answer Key (PDF) July 28 2020
• SY 20-21 COVID-19 Symptom Screener Options for LEAs (PDF) July 28 2020
• Education Rights and Responsibilities During COVID-19 (PDF) August 13 2020
• Education Rights and Responsibilities During COVID-19 (Spanish) (PDF) August 13 2020
• Superintendent Response Checklist (Developed by ESCs) April 20 2020
• Austin Public Health Close Contact – Timeline (PDF) December 10 2020
• Ventilation System Impact on Student Health (PDF) March 2 2021
• CDC Resource: Supporting Students with Chronic Health Conditions in School-Based Out of School Time Programs June 15 2021

Correspondence and Notices

• Texas Attorney General Guidance Letter on Local Public Health Orders
• Executive Order no. GA-29 relating to the use of face coverings during the COVID-19 disaster (PDF) July 2 2020
• Executive Order no. GA-30 relating to the continued response to the COVID-19 disaster as Texas reopens (PDF) September 17 2020
• Executive Order no. GA-32 relating to the continued response to the COVID-19 disaster as Texas reopens (PDF) December 10 2020
• Executive Order no. GA-34 relating to the opening of Texas in response to the COVID-19 disaster (PDF) March 2 2021
• Press Release: Texas Education Agency Announces Updates to Public Health Guidance; TEA Also Provides Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ
• Executive Order no. GA-36 relating to the prohibition of governmental entities and officials from mandating face coverings or restricting activities in response to the COVID-19 disaster May 18 2021
• Executive Order No. GA-38 relating to the continued response of the COVID-19 disaster July 29 2021

As of January 15, 2021, school systems will no longer be able to opt-in to the K-12 COVID Testing Project to receive rapid tests. School systems that have already opted-in will continue to receive their allocations per the distribution methodology posted on our website. We strongly encourage you to continue to use the test kits as many of the tests distributed have an expiration date, some as early as February 2021.

FAQ and Guidance

• K-12 COVID-19 Testing Project Superintendent Kick-Off Presentation (PDF) October 29 2020
• K-12 COVID-19 Testing Project FAQ (PDF) February 8 2021
• K-12 COVID-19 Testing Project Playbook (PDF) October 28 2020
  • District Examples
    • Yselta Testing Plan Example 
    • Discharge Instructions (Lampasas ISD)
    • Sample Cooperative Agreement between ISD and a 3rd Party - Urgent Care for Kids
    • Granger ISD Testing Plan

Tools, Templates and Resources 

• K-12 Test Allocation Spreadsheet
  • K-12 Test Allocation spreadsheet – Based on November 15, 2020 Trauma Service Area (TSA) Data (Excel) November 23 2020
  • K-12 Test Allocation spreadsheet – Based on October 16, 2020 Trauma Service Area (TSA) Data (Excel) October 28 2020
  • K-12 Test Allocation spreadsheet – Based on December 15, 2020  Trauma Service Area (TSA) Data (Excel) December 17 2020
• K-12 Public School Test Allocation Spreadsheet Methodology
  • December K-12 Public School Test Allocation spreadsheet methodology (PDF) November 23 2020
  • November K-12 Public School Test Allocation spreadsheet methodology (PDF) October 28 2020
  • January K-12 Public School Test Allocation spreadsheet methodology (PDF) December 17 2020
• Trauma Service Area Data 
  • Click on “Combined Hospital Data over time by Trauma Service Region”

	Texas Education Agency (TEA) K-12 Testing Resources
Document	Description
Communication Templates October 28 2020 Student/Parent Communication (Word)  Staff Communication (Word) School District Examples Invitation for Employees to Test (Ysleta ISD) Student Athlete Parent Letter (Ysleta ISD) Testing Overview for Principals PPT (Ysleta ISD) Parent Letter (Lampasas ISD)	Communicating with your stakeholders about COVID rapid testing will be essential to successful implementation. Resources include TEA-developed samples as well as examples created by districts that participated in the testing pilot. These documents are meant as a resource and their use is entirely optional.
Student Permission Slip, TEA-Developed Sample (English) Sample (Spanish)  Annotated Version	School systems must obtain formal consent from a student's legal guardian (for those under 18). The TEA-developed sample is provided as a standardized example for all schools/districts. Feel free to edit it to include additional information specific to your school or district.  For example, you may want to add context if this is to be filled out at the time of testing, or in advance of the possibility of tests being conducted in the future. Additional examples are provided from the districts that participated in the pilot testing.

	Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) K-12 Testing Resources
Document	Description	Where to find
Texas School Testing Quick Guide	One pager on what test administrators can expect on testing day	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Test Coordinator Responsibilities	Schools should review prior to appointing a test coordinator to better understand duties before, during and after testing	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Test Administrator Responsibilities	Schools should review prior to appointing test coordinator to better understand the training requirements and the duties before, during and after	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Best Practices for Schools	This document provides schools with additional information on planning, space requirements, and managing testing flow	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
How-To-Video Loop	This video can be played on a loop during testing and provides step by step instructions on test administration	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Training Links for Test Administrators	Each test administrator is required to complete the training and take the accompanying exam	https://www.preparingtexas.org/Index.aspx
K-12 COVID Testing Support Guide	The K-12 COVID-19 Testing Support Guide provides an overview of the program to provide BinaxNow Rapid Test kits and PPE to school systems in Texas.  The guide provides information on how tests will be distributed and resupplied, test administration, reporting of results, and how to handle medical waste	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Standing Delegation Order	Standing delegation order from Dr. Alexander Lazar for licensed nurses conducting BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Screening in K-12 Texas school systems	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Medical Waste Instructions for Schools	Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulatory guidance regarding the handling, storage, labeling, transportation, and proper disposal for schools using COVID-19 rapid testing kits.	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
BinaxNOW Distribution	Listing of the number of test kits distributed to K-12 School Systems as December 15, 2020	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Abbott BinaxNow tests reported by school system	This document provides the number of Abbott BinaxNow tests that were distributed to each school system and the total and percent of those tests that school systems have reported they’ve used	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/
Expiration Date Extension	Abbott Labs has announced that their BinaxNOW Test kits’ expiration date may be extended by an additional three months for specific test kit lots. Only those lots which are indicated in the letter on the TDEM site are extended.	https://tdem.texas.gov/k-12testing/

Correspondence and Notices

• Press Release: Governor Abbott, TEA, TDEM Announce COVID-19 Rapid Testing Pilot Program For Texas School Systems (PDF) October 17 2020
• TAA: Reminder: K-12 COVID-19 Testing Project November 19 2020
• TAA: Final Reminder: K-12 COVID-19 Testing Project Opt-In Deadline

FAQ and Guidance

• DSHS Texas Public Schools Data Display FAQ (PDF) October 1 2020
• COVID-19 Public School Case and Test Reporting Instructions and FAQ (PDF) March 5 2021

Tools, Templates and Resources

• Department of State Health Services Texas Public Schools COVID-19 Data September 17 2020
  • The 2020-2021 data cycle dashboard will officially end on June 30, 2021.  There will be a new dashboard and visualization starting July 1, 2021.  You will still be able access the state and district level reports for the past year, along with the dashboard, on the main dashboard page. 
• COVID-19 Public School Case Report form 
• Optional School Capture and Reporting Template (Excel) November 19 2020

Correspondence and Notices

• TAA: 2020-2021 COVID-19 Case Reporting (PDF) August 27 2020
• Press Release: DSHS and TEA Launch Webpage with COVID-19 Case Data Reported by Texas Public Schools

Tools, Templates and Resources

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Update (PDF) September 3 2020
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Allotments by LEA - Final as of 6/18/20 LEA (Excel) June 18 2020
• SY 20-21 Texas Public School Start Dates (PDF) September 17 2020
• Summary of Texas Public Schools Student Enrollment Trends: October 2020 (PDF) January 7 2021
• Fall PEIMS On-Campus Attendance Participation (Excel) March 4 2021
• Summary of Texas Public School Student Enrollment Trends: January 2021 (PDF) March 4 2021

Correspondence and Notices

• See the Department of State Health Services Press Release for more information on School and Child Care Personnel Now Eligible To Be Vaccinated March 3 2021

FAQ and Guidance

• K-12 COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ (PDF) June 15 2021
• Vaccination Progress Tracking Survey Instructions (PDF) March 26 2021
• Texas Schools Vaccine Campaign Overview (PDF) March 18 2021

Tools, Templates and Resources

• Federal Government Resources
  • Federal Retail Pharmacy Program – Teachers, School Staff, and Childcare Workers FAQs (PDF) March 12 2021
  • Center for Disease Control Teacher Vaccination Website
  • CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit for School Settings and Childcare Programs
• COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Information
  • DSHS Website: Information for COVID-19 Vaccination Providers
  • DSHS Document: COVID-19 Vaccine Provider FAQs
  • How to Become a Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Provider (PDF) March 7 2021
• Vaccine Locator
• Sample Vaccine Informed Consent Form for Minors: Harris County Public Health (English) April 29 2021
• Sample Vaccine Informed Consent Form for Minors: Harris County Public Health (Spanish) April 29 2021
• Department of State Health Services COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit

Correspondence and Notices

• Secretarial Directive for Prioritization of COVID-19 Vaccines and Administration for Certain Educational and Child Care Workers