Sick students outpace 2020 counts

“We continue to look for ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 – specifically, the Delta Variant,” El Campo ISD Superintendent Bob Callaghan said Thursday. “We do not have the options of online learning or a mask mandate to mitigate the spread of the virus.”

In May, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order prohibiting government entities in Texas – including counties, cities and school districts – from requiring mask-wearing.

“Going forward, in Texas, there will not be any government-imposed shutdowns or mask mandates,” Abbott said when he signed the order. “Everyone already knows what to do.”

Since the order, school districts in Austin and San Antonio have tried to fight the governor by mandating masks or challenging his order outright in court.

Both sides have had victories in court, but the most recent blow to the school districts attempting to mandate masks has reaffirmed Callaghan’s position on mandates.

“A judge failed to support the temporary restraining orders from school districts who were trying to enforce mask mandates,” Callaghan said. “The governor’s no mask mandate has been supported by the courts. Therefore, we are following the governor’s executive order not to require masks.”

Tuesday, a Lamar County district court issued a restraining order against Paris ISD regarding its mask policy. The court decided the school district had no authority to administer or enforce a mask mandate because of the governor’s executive order.

There is no provision on face-to-face learning in the governor’s executive order on masks.

The superintendent does not support online learning because of the effect he believes it has on students.

“Online learning has been researched and proven to be less effective than in-person, so we are moving forward with in-person instruction,” Callaghan said.

The school has taken other precautions to fight against the COVID-19 virus including thorough cleaning in between classes, social distancing where appropriate and buying $140,000 worth of ionizers that remove up to 99 percent of virus particles from the air.

The ECISD school board also strongly recommended masks to both students and staff after hearing from all district principals last month.

“So far, everyone really seems to be on board and receptive to having to take precautions again,” Northside Elementary Principal Rebecca Crowell said. “We are doing the best we can, and the students are following our lead on safety.”

As of the Sept. 15 report, 12,597 people are hospitalized for COVID-19 statewide, and nearly 7,000 Texans have died in the last month, putting the total number of deaths near 60,000.

According to the Texas Education Agency, at least 45 districts have shut down in-person classes due to COVID-19 cases this school term, affecting more than 40,000 students.

Despite the rising number of local and statewide COVID cases, Callaghan said he believes the school district can fight off the virus without breaking the governor’s order.

“We are still actively trying to fight the virus, and we are not going to sit this one out,” Callaghan said. “We take the health and safety of our students and our staff to be the number one priority.”