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Austin ISD scrapping certain new guidelines announced by TEA

Austin ISD says it will continue contact tracing and informing parents when positive cases occur.

AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: Austin ISD decided Aug. 9 to require masks for all students, staff and visitors. This goes against an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott.

On Thursday, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released new guidelines for districts across the state as Texas grapples with another huge surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Among the new guidelines included the following items:

  • Schools do not have to inform parents of a positive case.
  • Schools do not have to conduct contact tracing.
  • If a school does contact trace, parents can still choose to send a child to school if they are a close contact of an infected student.

RELATED: Texas Education Agency releases new COVID-19 guidance

Austin ISD tweeted out its own edited version of an infographic containing those guidelines on Friday evening, stating the following:

  • Austin ISD will continue informing parents of positive cases.
  • Austin ISD will continue conducting contact tracing.
  • Families should keep sick children at home.

The new guidance has been somewhat controversial. State Rep. Erin Zwiener also tweeted out a thread with the same infographic, adding that the guidance was "disastrous."

"I. Am. Furious," she said. "This is bad and directly deviates from some of the CDC recommendations."

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