AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency has launched its coronavirus dashboard showing Texas public school case data.
As of Thursday afternoon, the dashboard shows 2,344 positive cases out of 1.1 million students learning in-person. DSHS says that’s less than .5 percent of the total student population who are learning in-person. The total count of on-campus staff cases during the same period is 2,175.
Many districts have detailed dashboards of their own, as well. The dashboards are meant to help maintain transparency as students and staff return to in-person learning at individual campuses in each district.
Public schools are required to report positive COVID-19 cases on school campuses.
The data on the DSHS' website will be updated weekly on Wednesdays. Beginning Sept. 23, it will include data by school district.
"The data will provide an overview of the burden of disease in Texas schools over time and inform public policy decisions about COVID-19," DSHS wrote in a statement. "School districts and other local authorities will continue to be the best source of the most current and specific information about cases in their schools.
"Reporting this information to the state does not replace the legal requirement that schools notify public health officials in their area of all cases. Additionally, as per TEA guidance, schools will still be required to inform all parents, teachers, and campus staff of any positive cases tied to their on-campus instruction or activities."