COVID-19 is on the rise again in Odessa, so Ector County ISD is re-implementing some of its protocols and asking parents for help.
During his media call Wednesday, ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri said there is a new COVID variant, Omicron, but Delta is still out there and they want to keep everyone as safe as possible.
“The school district … will continue to clean areas — high-touch, high-contact areas. Our custodial and maintenance crews will continue to make sure that those high-touch, high-contact areas remain clean throughout the day. We’ll continue to sanitize classrooms during each transition to ensure that kids when they walk in the classroom have a healthy and safe environment. We’ll continue to provide hand sanitizer for our students. That is available at the entrance and exit to each of our schools, as well as in our classrooms so our students will continue to have access to hand sanitizer and will be encouraged to use that throughout the day,” Muri said.
“We will strongly recommend that all of our students and staff members wear a mask. While we can’t require that at this point, we are strongly recommending (it) as we have evidence within our own system that mask usage makes a positive impact upon the spread of COVID-19 in our schools. So again, we are strongly recommending that all of our students at every grade level and all of our staff members continue with their mask usage. We’ll provide COVID-19 tests, so should any student during the school day begin to display symptoms of COVID-19, each of our nurses has been equipped with testing kits. We will use those test kits throughout the day. In order for a nurse to administer that test kit, we must have parent permission, so moms and dads please make sure that you provide permission to the nurse before they are able to administer those tests. But again, those will be given to any students that during the school day that display any one of the COVID-19 symptoms. Those quick tests will allow you as parents to be able to not only pick up your child, but provide the appropriate attention that they need to recover quickly from COVID-19,” Muri said.
He added that the district will continue to work with the Ector County Health Department to provide vaccinations for students and families. Muri said more information on that will be forthcoming.
“But parents, we need you to do some things at home as well to make sure that not only your children are safe but also that the other children (within our schools) and our faculty and staff members remain safe as well,” Muri said. “First and foremost, if your children display any of the COVID-19 symptoms, please keep them at home and have them tested at home, or at your local physician for COVID-19. So again, any child that displays any of the COVID-19 symptoms, we request that those children be kept at home.”
He asked that parents encourage their children to wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer, maintain a safe distance from their peers when possible within the school setting and wear a mask.
“Continue to encourage your children in their mask usage when they are around others in the school environment, and finally, encourage your children … when they have to sneeze or cough to use their elbow to do that. … For some of our younger children, they need to be taught how to do that, so parents we encourage you to take some time to teach your children that particular step that will keep everyone a bit healthier in the school environment. We’re certainly going to continue to do things as a school district, and parents we need your help to make sure that all of us can remain healthy through this sudden increase in COVID cases in our own community,” Muri added.
Right before the holiday break, Muri was invited by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to become a part of the broadband advisory board.
“This board, consisting of 10 individuals from across the state of Texas, will provide guidance and support for the newly formed Office of Broadband. That office was formed by the governor of the state of Texas,” Muri said. “I’m excited to be able to serve in this capacity, but even more excited to not only represent the City of Odessa and Ector County, but all of West Texas.”
The advisory board supports the Office of Broadband as it looks at providing broadband solutions for every family and business throughout Ector County and statewide, he said.
“So I appreciate the lieutenant governor for his nod of support and encouragement and look forward to serving not only our community, but the larger West Texas (region) in this important role within the state of Texas,” Muri said.
The first Wednesday of every month during the school year is College Day.
“You’ll find a variety of different college logos around ECISD at the elementary, middle and high school level. It gives all of our faculty and staff members a chance to showcase the college or university … they attended and also have engaging conversations with our students about college options both in the state of Texas and outside the state of Texas. So today, I’ve got my alma mater of Wake Forest University located in the state of North Carolina. Again, if you travel to any of our schools today (Jan. 5) you’ll find a large variety of colleges and universities that we’re talking about, and again, opening the doors and opportunities for our students as we share stories of our own experiences … ,” Muri said.
January is School Board Appreciation Month.
“Every year during the month of January, we pause and recognize the seven members of our own board of trustees, who happen to be the current Region 18 Board of the Year, so this certainly is a year to celebrate our trustees … Many people don’t know this, but the Ector County ISD Board of Trustees, while those are elected positions, they are unpaid positions. Our seven trustees literally volunteer their time, and for most of them, it is many hours a week in service to … the 32,000 students that live within our own community, as well as Ector County itself. So this month we applaud the seven members of the ECISD Board of Trustees and thank them sincerely for their service to our community,” Muri said.
