Dear Round Rock ISD community,

You may have heard the news reports about the Coronavirus that has caused an outbreak of respiratory illness in areas of the world. While there has not been a confirmed case of the Coronavirus in Texas at this time, we understand this may be a source of concern for our community. We would like to take a moment to share some information and to assure you we monitor situations like this very closely and work in cooperation with our county health departments, as well as state and federal government agencies, to keep our communities safe. Coronavirus cases in the U.S.

The first known cases of the Coronavirus were reported in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. The virus is spread, similarly to other illnesses like the flu and the common cold, through coughing or sneezing by those who already have it, and symptoms can include fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing.

Internationally the illness has primarily affected adults – elderly patients with pre-existing conditions.

Working to keep our community healthy,  District administration collaborates with Travis and Williamson County Health Departments throughout the year to track and identify any health developments, like the Coronavirus, that may impact our campuses and students. When health concerns are identified within our community, we follow the health departments’ guidance and recommendations on how to inform our campus communities and how to best keep our campuses healthy and safe.

Our District’s efforts to keep our students healthy are supported by our Director of Health Services, Elaine Douville, whose work includes collaborating with campuses and working daily with campus nurses to ensure our District’s policies and procedures, which remain in line with those provided by both the Travis and Williamson County Health Departments as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are followed.

As health and wellness continues to be a focus in our community, we ask our parents and guardians to partner with us to best ensure the health and safety of our students and staff by continuing to monitor their child’s health and keeping them home if they have a fever, have had a fever within the last 24 hours or may have an illness that could be contagious to others. It is Round Rock ISD policy that students and staff with a fever of 100 degrees or greater must stay out of school and not participate in after-school activities until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medication. By doing this, the exposure of illness and the possibility of it spreading to well students and staff are minimized.

There are also everyday steps that can be taken by us all to help minimize the spread of illness. These steps and more information can be found on the Round Rock ISD Health Services website and the Center for Disease Control website.

If you have any questions related to your student’s health or are concerned about whether or not your student should stay home due to potential symptoms or illness, please contact the nurse at your child’s respective campus or your child’s health care provider for assistance.

Thank you for partnering with us to help ensure the safety of each child in Round Rock ISD. Together we can work to create the safest and healthiest environments for our students and staff.

Respectfully,
Steve Flores, Ph.D.
Round Rock ISD Superintendent of Schools