TEXAS – The Texas Education Agency and the Department of State Health Services on Thursday said data concerning COVID-19 statistics and outbreaks in public schools will be made public.

What You Need To Know

  • TEA, DSHS to release school COVID-19 data

  • Data concerning case numbers, outbreaks to be available starting in September

  • Many school districts have already started the school year

  • Reporting process still being finalized 

According to a statement posted to Twitter, a tracking system is being developed. COVID-19 cases will be reported to DSHS, and DSHS in turn will publicly report that data beginning in September.

The announcement comes as numerous school districts in Texas have already started the school year, and others, such as the Austin Independent School District, will begin online learning after Labor Day and eventually transition to in-person education via a phased-in approach.

The joint statement from DSHS and TEA reads:

“Data on the numbers of cases in schools is of paramount interest to parents, students, teachers, staff, public health experts, policymakers, and the larger community. This information will be submitted to DSHS any time there is a positive case in a campus community.

“TEA is collaborating with superintendents on the reporting process and will finalize it in the coming days. As a result, it is important to note that this data collection effort will be updated based on the input received from Texas school districts.

“Having this knowledge and being able to publicly share the accumulated case totals from schools in a single place covering the entire state of Texas will help us to further support the health and safety of all Texans.”