Texas school districts fail to properly protect students, family, staff from COVID-19

Failures by Texas school districts to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines number in the hundreds, according to members of the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA), which the organization said backs their worries about the safety of students, their families and school employees.

In the first two weeks since school district resumed in-person classes, TSTA members surveyed in 135 school districts reported violations of recommended guidelines and best practices for public health safety, the TSTA reported in a rpress elease.

The biggest issue the 664 members who were surveyed raised regards failing to adequately accommodate high-risk employees, or employees with high-risk dependents in their homes, TSTA President Ovidia Molina said, the release reported. The teachers should be teaching remotely from home, but often risk losing their jobs if they don’t teach from their classrooms, she said.

Inadequate staffing was another concern with the added safety measures. Sick leave policies discourage employees from staying home.

“Districts are telling employees to self-screen for COVID symptoms but then establishing personnel policies and practices that discourage employees from being rigorous about it. This is very bad policy that ignores the reality of this health crisis,” Molina said in the release.

Many TSTA members reported ventilation and social distancing problems. HVAC systems that aren’t up to the task, coupled with sealed windows prevents fresh-air ventilation that is recommended by health experts with this air-borne disease.

With classrooms too small for social distancing, other members said districts aren’t trying to comply with guidelines.

The governor’s mask order has been violated according to many reports from TSTA members and schools lack proper personal protective equipment and sanitations supplies.

“The state can issue all the safety guidelines and protocols it wants, but if they are not enforced, they aren’t worth much,” Molina said in the release. “In some cases, inadequate funding may be an issue, particularly relating to the deficiencies in physical facilities.”