It should be noted that these numbers are estimates because schools sometimes report ahead of the County, or vice versa due to backlogged information. Because of this, the following figures are the most accurate data available.
Officials have also noted that many students contracted the virus outside of schools. The largest recent spikes were seen after Halloween and Thanksgiving gatherings.
The schools are doing the best they can to combat the spread of the virus. The fact is that covid is spreading rapidly in our local community, and we can all help by following school and CDC protocols regarding face coverings, quarantines, and hand washing.
Medina County had 166 total active cases as of this Monday, December 14th. Between the four local schools in our coverage area (Devine, Natalia, Lytle, and MVISD) there are 53 active covid cases. That is equal to roughly 1/3 of all covid cases reported to Medina County currently. This also does not account for any cases that may be active in some of the other area districts in Medina County for which we do not have updated counts. It also does not include the family members of students/staff who may have come down with covid either.
Schools Active/total case counts:
As of Monday, Devine ISD has 8 active covid cases of students in the district (4 HS, 3 MS, and 1 intermediate), and 1 active staff at the High School. They have had a total of 28 total cases this school year (20 students, 8 staff).
As of Monday, Lytle ISD has 12 active cases right now (11 at the high school, 1 junior high). There have been 51 total this year.
As of Tuesday, Natalia ISD has 6 active cases, and has had a total of 86 covid cases this year.
As of Monday, Medina Valley ISD has 27 active cases and has had a total of 97 this school year.
We also note that some school staff/students reside outside the county (and this is why we are giving a broader estimate between 1/4 – 1/3 of cases being students/staff in Medina County schools, to provide for that margin of error).
The parents, grandparents, and other household members of students who contract covid are of course not included in the school’s reporting.
Changes in remote learning this January
The cooperation of the community in taking necessary precautions will be especially important as some schools, including Devine are ending remote learning after the Christmas Holidays except for students who have a medical wavier.
A student who has a medical condition or a household member with a qualifynig medical condition can ask their family doctor to fill out the simple and easy form which is posted on Devine News facebook and also on the school website under “What’s Happening”. A link to the form is inside the letter/message from Dr. Grandjean about ending remote learning in January.
Natalia has projected that they will do the same in January, but has not voted on the issue or made a final decision.
Lytle will continue to offer remote learning to all students in good standing.
Medina Valley ISD is also planning to continue offering remote learning to students.
