Positive coronavirus result puts Thrall ISD containment protocol to the tests

THRALL, Texas - It was cleaning day for all of the buildings at Thrall ISD.  The Wednesday scrub down was scheduled before a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

Billy Brees, who has a son at the high school, wasn’t surprised that someone caught the virus; just how quickly it happened.

“Disappointed, I know these guys were like the flagship of everybody else, Opening up, and they took every possible precaution that they could to prevent this and I think they’re still working through that,” said Brees.

The positive test will not end the option for in-person classes which started August 10, according to Superintendent Tommy Hooker. He did say the district’s quarantine protocol is now in play for the staff member and those who had contact with that person.

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Last week Hooker spoke to fox7 about the High stakes that cones with reopening the campus.

“If we’re going to go normal and have 100% of our population back we are going to have to show we can do this we can do it safely and we don’t have a spread that kicks up early on,” said Hooker on August 10th.

In-person classes are offered on a staggered weekday schedule.  About 75% of the student body chose to return.  Other students are taking all of their classes online, like Dakota Konarsky.

“I want to get back to school but same time I do want to be online, it’s just online it’s hard to find all your papers, you don’t know when to get on classes,” said Dakota. 

The positive COVID-19 test by a school staff member hasn’t changed his mind about eventually getting back in his 5th-grade classroom.

“Not at all except for my grandparents...if I get sick I will stay away from them,” said Dakota.

Thrall ISD is not the only local ISD with employees who have reported positive COVID-19 tests. The difference is the others have not yet started school or are 100% online classes.

Leander ISD reports 37 positive cases with 34 employees in quarantine for contact exposure. Round Rock ISD reports 24 employees who have applied for COVID-19 leave.

RELATED: Leander ISD employee dies from complications due to COVID-19

Meanwhile, Hays Consolidated ISD has had 31 employees to test positive for COVID-19 since March. Classes there don’t start until the end of the month.

In Manor ISD, for the 2019-2020 school year from March until July, there were nine total staff positive cases. All have been resolved.  Since the beginning of August, Manor ISD reports a total of six positive cases and one pending test results.

The situation at Thrall ISD is providing a lesson for others on which protocols work and what should be adjusted.

“I believe that if there is an opportunity to go back, this is the place to do it at,” said Brees. 

Thrall’s superintendent says there have been no new cases of COVID-19 reported.