Leander ISD shared this response at 2:10 p.m. on August 24:

Thank you to our students, teachers, staff, families, and community for continuing to work with us while we navigate the changing conditions regarding COVID-19. Our case counts continue to rise, totaling nearly 210 reported cases last week and 149 reported cases this week. We are asking for your continued support and partnership as we work to keep schools open and minimize viral spread.

Last night, the Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) sent us an email recommending we close all schools for 10 days and adjust our health response protocols. We spoke with representatives from WCCHD and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) this morning.  

At this time, we are keeping schools open and focusing on individual classrooms impacted by clusters of positive cases. It is possible that whole classrooms at the elementary level may be required to access remote conferencing with their teacher. We will communicate those details directly to impacted staff, teachers, and families. 

We share the concerns of WCCHD regarding the spread of COVID-19 in our community. At this time, we do not believe a districtwide closure meets the needs of our students and families. While we have some pockets of concern, we also have several campuses with few positive cases. 

We believe responding precisely to individual classrooms instead of whole school closures is our best course of action. We need to keep in-person schools open as long as we can because students depend on essential services, including classroom instruction, food services, and other special programs.

Health Protocols and Next Steps

We continue to require masks in all district facilities. If you have not filled out an opt-out form for your student and wish to, please reach out to your campus administrator. 

Should the number of cases continue to increase we may be forced to close multiple classrooms and whole schools. This will have implications on academic learning as well as extra-curricular activities. 

We need everyone to work together and implement as many mitigation measures as possible to stop the spread. Our plea is for the community to come together so we can stay open and stay safe.