Liberty Hill ISD COVID-19 Guidelines

• Normal school arrival and dismissal.  Please see your campus for specific information on their procedures.

• Mask-wearing is optional.

• Physical distancing is recommended when you are around others that are sick or displaying signs of illness.

• We will practice thorough hand washing and remind students to wash their hands as often as possible for 20 seconds using soap.

• Hand sanitizer will be available when hand washing with soap is not feasible.

• Normal restroom procedures.

• Extra cleaning will be done as needed.

• Bottle filler stations are available at each campus in several locations and are cleaned regularly.

• The use of personal water bottles will be encouraged.

• Water fountains are currently on at each campus.

• All athletics, fine arts and extra curricular activities will continue as normal.

• Based on the current COVID data, campus and district administration may restrict or close campuses or parts of campuses if there is an increase in COVID numbers in a classroom, grade level or campus.

• Normal cafeteria service. Students will go through the service line to pick up their food and drink themselves.

• Students should check out by scanning their student ID when possible.

• Students should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer when entering the cafeteria.

• Students should not share food, drinks, or personal devices.

• Indoor and Outdoor activities will continue as normal.

• Based on the current COVID data, campus and district administration may restrict or close campuses or parts of campuses if there is an increase in COVID numbers in a classroom, grade level or campus.

• Field trips will continue as normal.

• Normal library procedures.

• Visitors and Volunteers are allowed on campus.

  • Visitors will follow our normal check-in process through Raptor and Volunteers must complete a background check prior to volunteering.

  • Visitors and Volunteers will be limited at principal/campus discretion.

  • By coming onto campus, you are acknowledging that you have self screened and you are free of illness and COVID symptoms. No one with illness symptoms will be allowed into the building.

• • Based on the current COVID data, campus and district administration may restrict or close campuses or parts of campuses for visitors if there is an increase in COVID numbers in a classroom, grade level or campus.

• Parents eating lunch with their children

  • Parents will begin to be able to eat lunch with their children and each campus will communicate their process to parents.

• No isolation rooms will be needed at this time.

• Nurses may ask ill and/or symptomatic students to wear a mask (which will be provided by LHISD Health Services).

• Buses will resume operating at full capacity with seating charts required.

• Students should not share food, drinks, or personal devices.

• Buses will be disinfected at the end of the day.

• A/C air filters will be cleaned and changed regularly.

• We are currently not planning to close classes or grade levels due to COVID numbers but we will monitor data to make future decisions.

• LHISD is required to report a positive students and staff case to the county health department and the Texas Education Agency.

• To report a positive student or staff member, please complete this link: LHISD COVID Positive Reporting

• You can find free COVID testing sites in Williamson County at this link: Free Public COVID Testing in Wilco

• COVID-19 has been added to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) exclusion from school list.

• Students

  • Positive students will be required to isolate for a minimum of 5 full days starting on the day after symptoms have begun or after a positive test result in asymptomatic.  TX Department of Health & Human Services: Student Re-Admission Criteria

    • Ex Symptomatic: Symptoms begin on Tuesday.  Day one of isolation beings on Wednesday.

    • Ex Asymptomatic: Test on Friday.  Test result received on Saturday.  Day one of isolation begins on Saturday, the day after the test was taken. 

  • Positive students may return at the end of the 5 day isolation period AND

    • At least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without medication and other symptoms have improved.

    • It is recommended to wear a mask for an additional 5 days after the isolation period has ended.

• Staff

  • Positive staff will be required to isolate for a minimum of 5 full days starting on the day after the positive test result.

    • Ex Symptomatic: Symptoms begin on Tuesday.  Day one of isolation beings on Wednesday.

    • Ex Asymptomatic: Test on Friday.  Test result received on Saturday.  Day one of isolation begins on Saturday, the day after the test was taken. 

  • Positive staff may return at the end of the 5 day isolation period AND

    • At least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without medication and other symptoms have improved.

    • It is recommended to wear a mask for an additional 5 days after the isolation period has ended.

• Close Contact Definition: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes).  

  • If you are considered to be in close contact you should self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.

• Contact Tracing: Our district is not currently contact tracing individuals, but we will notify the campus and individuals who share a class or extracurricular activity with a COVID positive person.  If contact tracing is necessary, it will be the responsibility of the county health department.

• Quarantine: Quarantining is optional. If an individual chooses not to quarantine, mask use is highly recommended.

• Case reviews will be done for each reported positive case by the county health department and they may contact individuals for further information regarding positive cases.

• Students:

  • Report using the link at LHISD COVID-19 Positive Reporting

  • Isolate for a minimum of 5 full days starting on the day after symptoms have begun or after a positive test result in asymptomatic.  TX Department of Health & Human Services: Student Re-Admission Criteria

    • Ex Symptomatic: Symptoms begin on Tuesday.  Day one of isolation beings on Wednesday.

    • Ex Asymptomatic: Test on Friday.  Test result received on Saturday.  Day one of isolation begins on Saturday, the day after the test was taken. 

    • Positive students may return at the end of the 5 day isolation period AND

      • At least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without medication and other symptoms have improved.

      • It is recommended to wear a mask for an additional 5 days after the isolation period has ended.

  • If a reported student is COVID positive using a home test, that student will be out for 5 days even if PCR comes up negative. Please only report a true positives. If you plan on getting a PCR after the home positive, please wait until the PCR test comes back before notifying the school.

• Staff:

  • Report to their campus principal 

  • Report using the link at LHISD COVID-19 Positive Reporting

  • Isolate for a minimum of 5 full days starting on the day after the positive test result.

    • • Ex Symptomatic: Symptoms begin on Tuesday.  Day one of isolation beings on Wednesday.

      • Ex Asymptomatic: Test on Friday.  Test result received on Saturday.  Day one of isolation begins on Saturday, the day after the test was taken. 

    • Positive staff may return at the end of the 5 day isolation period AND

      • At least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without medication and other symptoms have improved.

      • It is recommended to wear a mask for an additional 5 days after the isolation period has ended.

• Liberty Hill ISD is required to report positive cases to the county health department and the Texas Education Agency.

• You can find free COVID testing sites in Williamson County at this link: Free Public COVID Testing in Wilco

At School:

• Students or staff that present COVID like symptoms at school will be evaluated by the campus nurse in coordination with the District Health Services Coordinator

  • After the nurse’s evaluation of the symptoms

    • COVID related symptoms are present

      • Student - notify parents for pick up / Staff - leave campus

      • A doctor’s release that states when the student or staff may return to school from the primary physician will be required.

    • COVID related symptoms are NOT present

      • Student or staff may return to class

At Home:

• If you are sick, we ask you students and staff to stay home until they are well and symptom free from any illness

• If you have symptoms consistent with COVID, you are recommended to get a lab test from a doctor or free sit. Free Public COVID Testing in Wilco

• If you are out for an illness that has COVID symptoms, a doctor's note is required to return

• A nurse may ask for a doctor's note at their discretion based on concerning symptoms and or due to increased COVID cases around the classroom or campus for any type of illness

General Recommendations:

• • Consider isolating to prevent the unintended transmission of the virus to others as recommended by the CDC.

  • Consider seeking medical guidance from your health care provider.

  • Consider testing as recommended by the CDC.

  • Consider wearing a mask/face covering if respiratory symptoms are present

• Staff and students that are close contact should return to school or work unless they are displaying symptoms.

• Monitor for symptoms consistent with COVID-19 for 14 days after the date of the last contact as recommended by the CDC.

• Consider wearing a mask if choosing to return to work/school prior to the end of the 14 day quarantine period.

• Consider testing between day 5 and day 7 after exposure and if symptoms develop.

• Consider quarantining for 14 days after the date of the last contact as recommended by the CDC. 

• Liberty Hill ISD will report positive cases to the county health department and the Texas Education Agency.

• Communication: 

  • LHISD will send a notification to those that share the same classes or extracurricular activities with a positive person and offer recommendations as needed.

• If data is showing a COVID cluster breakout due to a high number of positive cases in an area, LHISD will consult with local health authorities and may need to quarantine a class or activity.  LHISD will work with students and staff to ensure the best transition to offer support and continue student learning.

• COVID-19 vaccines are not required for students or employees.

• Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Per the CDC, promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.

• According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and recommended for all eligible individuals.

• Vaccination info for Williamson County can be found by clicking on the link

• Staff members should visit the LHISD Human Resources website for more information.

• Recommended you self screen and monitor for symptoms.

• Isolate away from the positive person(s) as best as possible.

• Wear a mask when interacting with others.

• If you begin showing symptoms for COVID-19

  • Stay home

  • Contact the school so the absence can be coded as Q, Quarantine excused absence

  • Get a lab test from a doctor or free sit. Free Public COVID Testing in Wilco

• If you are not showing symptoms for COVID-19:

  • You are ok to attend school and work.

  • Recommend to wear a mask around others.

  • Consider getting tested 5-7 days after you are exposed to a COVID positive person

• If you begin showing symptoms for COVID-19:

  • Stay home

  • Contact the school so the absence can be coded as Q, Quarantine excused absence

  • Get a lab test from a doctor or free sit. Free Public COVID Testing in Wilco

• Not at this time.

• Students and staff are asked to do a self-screen for COVID symptoms prior to arriving at school each day.

• Parents/Guardians: Per the LHISD Student & Parent Handbook, by sending your child to school, you are attesting that your child has a very low risk of carrying or spreading any disease. We appreciate you partnering with LHISD to ensure a healthy environment for all our students and staff.

• Staff: By coming to work the employee is attesting that he/she is free of illness or any symptom/s of a communicable disease.

• Liberty Hill ISD will report positive cases to the county health department and the Texas Education Agency.

• Once the case is reported, it will be the responsibility of the local health department to choose whether or not to contact trace and to identify those individuals who are considered close contact.

• Due to the Federal Education Rights and Responsibilities Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), we are unable to share the name of the person that has reported being COVID positive.

• LHISD will not continue sending school, classroom, bus or extracurricular wide communications home regarding positive COVID cases.  TEA Public Health Guidance 8/1/22

• LHISD will continue keeping the COVID Data Dashboard updated.

• LHISD is not offering a virtual learning option.

• The Texas Education Agency has created a list of approved virtual school options that parents may use

  • Texas Virtual School Network

  • If you choose to enroll your child in this virtual option, please contact your child's school to complete the withdrawal process.

• Follow your doctor’s order

• Provide the school with a copy of the doctor’s note

• The student absence will be coded as “Q=Quarantine Excused from Doctor’s Note”

• If the student is not feeling well, the student should rest and get well

• If the student is feeling good, the student should contact their teachers to complete as much work as possible to ensure they do not fall behind on school work

• If the student becomes COVID positive, the parent should contact the school and the absence will be changed to “K=COVID Excused”

• Student:

  • A virtual learning environment will not be available

  • The student will be marked as an "K=COVID Excused Absence" if a positive COVID is reported.

  • The student will be responsible for missing work but may check on the teacher's Google Classroom or Seesaw for assignments to complete to stay up to date on learning

    • Teachers will not be available for direct instruction but will respond to emails at least once per day to answer questions or give clarifications.

    • If the student is not well, we want the student to rest and focus on getting well first before completing work.

    • If a student is well enough to work, it will be best for the student to keep up with assignments as best as possible.

    • When the student returns, the campus will follow normal timelines for completing work as defined by the campus handbook for excused absences.

      • Note- If the student is able, it will be best to try and complete as much work as the student can in order to not fall too far behind.

    • Elementary Temporary At Home Learning Support

    • Middle School Temporary At Home Learning Support

    • High School Temporary At Home Learning Support

  • The student may not participate or attend any Liberty Hill ISD sponsored UIL or extra-curricular activities

    • Example: sporting or fine arts practices, games, or performances

• Staff:

  • Staff should visit the LHISD Human Resources website for COVID Information

If you choose to quarantine, please consider following the CDC guidance on quarantining.

LHISD Student and Staff considerations:

• Student:

  • A virtual learning environment will not be available.

  • The student will be marked as a Q for Quarantine Excused Absence.

  • The student will be responsible for completing missing work when he/she returns or staying up to date on their assignments through an electronic format

  • The student may not participate or attend any Liberty Hill ISD sponsored UIL or extra-curricular activities.

    • Example: sporting or fine arts practices, games, or performances

• Staff:

  • Responsible for informing direct supervisor and Health Services email: healthservices@libertyhill.txed.net

  • Staff should visit the LHISD Human Resources website on COVID Information.