October 9, 2020
Dear ESD Community,
As we have developed health and safety protocols over the last several months, our priority has been to maximize our chances for continued in-person learning and allow for the phased-in return to athletics, arts, and other extracurricular activity. To achieve this goal, we have put the students' participation in school first, while at the same time keeping in mind that we must do everything else we can to limit the spread of COVID infection so that we can continue as we are now. These priorities informed Athletics Director Dan Gill's message yesterday about spectators at upcoming athletic events, and it is at the heart of what I share today.
On Wednesday, the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services informed school heads and superintendents that COVID-19 cases in Dallas County are on the rise and are of great concern. The case increase is particularly evident in neighborhoods in which many in our ESD community live. This information is a stark reminder that we must continue to follow health and safety recommendations to meet our shared goals.
Since the start of school, we have had very few COVID-19 cases at ESD. However, we know that can change quickly. It is important to note that all of the cases we have had among students have been connected to off-campus social events and sports teams not sponsored or supervised by ESD. As we endeavor to limit the spread of infection, this has made the process of determining who is considered a "close contact" particularly challenging.
In recognition of our priority to take precaution and the increase in infections in the greater Dallas community, please know that except in very rare circumstances, we will quarantine all ESD students or employees who attend an off campus social event or activity in which a COVID-19 positive case is reported.
As we approach the weekend of the Texas-OU football game and the beginning of Halloween season, we know there will be the temptation to gather in large groups. When participating in these types of activities, community members are exposing themselves to a possible 14-day quarantine. If large-scale quarantines occur, this puts extraordinary pressure on our classroom teachers and jeopardizes our in-person teaching and learning status. While we do not think it is our place to mandate a cessation of these activities, we strongly urge you and your children not to participate in them for the overall well-being of our school community.
Our greatest hope is to preserve as much of a "normal" on-campus school experience as possible for our students. This message is not intended to preach or moralize; it is simply a request for what is very likely our best opportunity to remain on this path.
I remain grateful for the cooperation that students have shown with our health and safety protocols while on campus. I have been heartened by the care that student council leadership has taken to responsibly plan upcoming Homecoming activities. They are an example for us all.
Together we will continue to thrive.
Onward and upward,