Our goal at HISD is to foster a caring, joyful, and challenging learning experience for every student, every day. That’s why your school is providing free COVID-19 testing to all students in partnership with the Houston Health Department.

Testing is completely voluntary and requires parent/guardian consent first. You can be confident our school is safe, and free COVID-19 testing adds another layer of protection to our safety strategy. Free testing puts our student’s health first, it allows us to maximize learning in school and promotes equity by ensuring every student has access to testing if they want it and if you, as their parent/guardian, provide consent.

• Who will be tested? We will offer testing to everyone who consents - all students and staff - even if they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19.
• How is the testing done? The COVID-19 testing is free, quick, and easy. Trained medical professionals will conduct testing with a short, shallow nasal swab.
• Where and when is the testing done? Our school’s testing site will be in a room or area large enough to accommodate an organized flow to testers in and out of the space. Testing will take place every two weeks. Test results will be available within 24-48 hours.
• How can I be sure that my student’s information will be protected? Sharing of information about your student will only be done for public health purposes and in accordance with applicable law and policies protecting student privacy and the security of your student data.

We are asking you to:

• Learn more about testing at HoustonISD.org/COVIDTestingFAQ
• Complete the consent process by visiting HoustonISD.org/COVIDTesting

We are extremely grateful to our families and staff who continue to show great flexibility and resilience as we work together to contain the spread of this virus.

Check Your Campus' Testing Schedule Here.

Infectious and communicable diseases account for millions of school days lost each year, most often as a result of colds and flu. Because students are in group settings in which people are in close contact and share supplies and equipment most of their day, transmission of infections from person to person can occur. During flu season it is especially important to use good hygiene practices to reduce the spread of germs. Please help to keep your child and our schools healthy by:

• observing your child each day for signs of infection which may include coughing, colds, fever, itching on the skin and scalp and unusual rashes.
• keeping sick students at home and seeking medical attention for severe illness.
• encouraging your child to practice good hand hygiene.
• adopting healthy practices, such as disposing of used tissues and coughing into a sleeve rather than into a hand.
• keeping children home until free of fever for 24 hours (without fever reducing medication) reduces the risk of spread.

Please click on the links below for more resources.

• Flu near you 
• Protecting Against Flu 
• Is it a Cold or Flu?
• MRSA Guidelines
• Communicable Disease Chart