COVID-19 UPDATE 10-21-2020

On October 15, Raymondville Independent School District had a confirmed COVID-19 case of a staff member at Raymondville Early College High School. The staff member is associated with the football team, and they were last on campus on October 15. Contact tracing coordinated with the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) determined that the staff member likely became infected through contact outside of the District. RISD took immediate action upon discovery of this situation. It notified all parents of the case and contacted all individuals determined to be in close contact with the infected staff member. Those determined to be in close contact were instructed to remain at home for a minimum of 14 days to stop the possible spread of the virus at school. Additionally, the football games scheduled October 16 and October 23 were cancelled. As an extra measure, in-person instruction at Raymondville Early College High School was cancelled Friday October 16 - Monday October 19 to allow for deep cleaning. High School students attended classes through remote instruction during that time. In-person instruction resumed at RECHS on Tuesday, October 20. Classes continued as scheduled at all other campuses. The District conducted rapid COVID-19 testing on October 16 for students and staff members associated with our athletics programs. 58 tests were administered, and only one student’s test came back positive. Raymondville ISD is taking the matter very seriously and is working with the local health department to minimize risk to its students, families and employees. In coordination with DSHS, and in an abundance of caution, Raymondville ISD has advised all staff members and students who attended football practice to stay home for the recommended quarantine period. Practices will resume Wednesday, October 28. Raymondville ISD will continue to keep its families and community apprised of any new information. Superintendent Stetson Roane said, “The district is committed to providing the safest learning environment for our students, but we cannot control activities and situations outside of school. We will continue to work closely with our parents to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our school and community. Through Raymondville ISD’s focus on health and safety, the District continues to have zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 transfer in our school facilities.” Needlepoint Bipolar Ion Generators have been installed to eliminate viruses, bacteria, and mold in the air of all occupied spaces, and the District continues to follow the Texas Education Agency and CDC guidelines for Health and Safety. The District has followed all recommendations given by the Department of State Health Services. Raymondville ISD has exceeded all TEA and DSHS reporting requirements for COVID-19.