As Taylor ISD staff faces increasing challenges, the district will continue available relief through at least next month.
On Jan. 10, the board of trustees approved an extension of one-time paid leave for staff with COVID-19. The leave is up to six days and will be available to Feb. 28.
Trustees extended the leave at their Aug. 16 meeting until Dec. 17.
“During different phases of the pandemic, we believed that we were heading towards some daylight,” said Superintendent Devin Padavil, “but as we have all experienced, the last few weeks have resulted in a rise of cases, shortages on staff.”
Neighboring communities have experienced similar challenges. On Jan. 9, Hutto ISD canceled regular bus routes until further notice due to transportation staff con tracting the virus. In a KXAN report, Georgetown ISD’s superintendent said that they are coming up short in their substitute teacher and bus driver rosters.
“We are seeing the same challenges and cases across school districts are rising at a rate we have not seen before, said Padavil. “Of course, the stress that this is putting on our staff additionally is something that right now I just don’t have the words to describe, so I know that for them, to provide six days of COVID relief and continue that from Dec. 17 to Feb. 28, that gives us the financial bandwidth to make sure that we’re covering people and covering their needs so they don’t need to be stressed about losing their days.”
Fall report card
Taylor ISD had fluctuating case numbers among students and staff during the fall semester. While some days saw cases rise, particularly at the start of the school year, there were a few weeks when there were no active positive cases anywhere in the district. Taylor ISD’s superintendent said he was proud of how his district responded to the challenge.
“We were very aggressive with rapid testing and ensuring safety protocols in the fall,” said Padavil. “For the first two months of school, we asked staff to wear masks in the presence of those ineligible for vaccinations.”
Campus remains active
News of the morecontagious COVID-19 Omicron variant happened shortly before the holiday season. On Jan. 5, classes resumed at Taylor ISD for the spring semester.
“We know what works and everyone from the CDC to the Williamson County Health Department believes it is in the best interest of children to keep them in school,” said the district in its 2022 update. “Everyone must do their part to keep our teachers, staff, and students healthy and our schools open.”
Padavil reiterated that keeping Taylor ISD open is the district’s priority. Based on his data, he expects COVID-19 cases to peak around Jan. 20 and then quickly lower through the early part of February. In the meantime, the challenge remains.
“For perspective, we went through nearly 500 rapid tests over the course of five days,” said Padavil. “Normally we could make it months with that amount of tests.”
Game plan
On Dec. 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shortened the recommended time for isolation for the public. According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 should isolate for five days.
“We are adopting the new CDC guidelines based on the information that tells us the recovery is quicker and the period for transmission is shorter,” said Padvail. “However, we are not allowing students or staff to return if they are still showing major symptoms.”
There are no plans to return to virtual learning at Taylor ISD. Even if there were, the Texas Education Agency no longer funds or supports remote learning, and Padavil said he thinks everyone can agree remote learning was not a positive experience for anyone.
“We know that students thrive academically and socially when they are in school,” said Padavil. “Parents can help keep their child and our schools healthy by engaging in safe practices including washing hands, drinking lots of water, and wearing a mask when necessary. We are encouraged to see mild symptoms and quick recoveries. We are going to make it out of this surge soon and it will take our collective effort to keep our schools open.”
