As we watch this COVID-19 story unfold before our eyes on national television and social media, I am amazed at the number of inspiring stories of schools, communities, and random acts of kindness that are being shared across the globe. I am also comforted by working with our local leaders in the Panhandle who have been working around the clock to gather data, information, and inventory all of our resources to ensure that we are ready to respond no matter what events unfold in the future.
As of today, Tuesday, March 17th, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Panhandle area. We do know that tests have been administered in the Panhandle area, but no confirmations have been given at the time of this email. We have continued communications with numerous agencies including the Department of Health Services, Texas Education Agency, Region 16 Service Center, CDC, City of Pampa, and Gray County. I remain thankful for the collaborative spirit of these leaders and the efforts they are taking to keep each other informed and supported as we continue to gather information, emails, texts, phone calls, and data reports to guide our decision-making.
After meeting and talking with numerous leaders at the state, regional, and local level today, I am reminded of the resolve of our Panhandle people and the calm, responsible, approach we are taking to this world pandemic. We in the Panhandle have been fortunate to not yet be impacted on a large scale. We are hoping and praying for the best, but we are also preparing for the worst and making decisions daily to do our part to slow down the spread of this unfamiliar virus.
There are school districts in the Panhandle Area collaborating with local officials preparing to either return to school as scheduled next week, return with some form of the modified operational plan, or even perhaps move to give school staff more time to prepare for online and remote learning and services. This is responsible leadership and I am grateful to be working alongside some of the smartest and dedicated people in Texas.
Pampa ISD is still moving forward with the plan to start school on Monday, March 23rd, but we will have modified operational plans in place. We will be developing these protocols over the next couple of days and will communicate those to our staff, families, parents, and students soon.
Please be reminded that this is a fluid situation, and information and facts are changing rapidly. If our concerns are escalated by federal, state, or local events, we will respond accordingly---including postponing a full return to classes and a move to remote services and learning if necessary. We have not made that determination yet, but we want to be transparent with you so you know that we are planning for this-- just in case. Again, this is not panic; it is responsible leadership.
We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we consider all of the data and work to make the very best decisions for all of our students in Pampa schools. We have several conference calls tomorrow and will provide our stakeholders with another update at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, March 18th. We thank you for your continued prayers for us all and for those impacted by COVID-19 in Texas and around the world.
Dr. Tanya Larkin, Superintendent
Visit the Pampa ISD Health Updates Page for more information Pampa ISD Health Updates
Published on 03/17/2020
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
