Ferris student tests positive for COVID-19

FERRIS – Last week a student at Ferris High School received a positive test result for COVID-19. The student had been at the Ferris ISD campus during the morning hours. 

The name and information regarding the student was not released. 

It was mentioned in a news release from Ferris ISD the district would work with the Ellis County Health Authority and the Texas Department of State Health Services to coordinate with these two agencies for contact tracing to be conducted due to the positive test.

Ferris ISD Superintendent James Hartman said, “Ferris ISD conducts internal contact tracing by retracing the steps, exact location and activities engaged in by the positive individual while on campus during the potentially infectious period as identified in TEA guidance – typically two days prior to symptom onset.” 

Hartman said any students and staff that were potentially in close contact with the positive individual were interviewed and assessed for risk based on social distancing protocols observed, time in proximity and face covering usage.  

“The positive case details for any student at any ISD is reported to DSHS and Ellis County health officials for additional contact tracing as they may deem necessary,” Hartman said.

Ellis County Judge Todd Little, who is also the head of the Office of Emergency Management for Ellis County, did not return calls regarding the necessity of contact tracing in the student’s case. His office did refuse to give a statement or cooperate other than a generic uncredited statement from “the Office of Emergency Management” regarding the positive case.

“The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) oversees COVID-19 investigations for Ellis County and 48 additional counties in public health region 2/3. Ellis County does not conduct contact tracing. In reference to contact tracing regarding a COVID-19 positive case in a school district such as FISD, these cases would be reported to DSHS by the ISD where the State would oversee case investigations,” the office sent via email.

It is uncertain if the Ellis County Health officials will deem it necessary to conduct any further investigation on the Ferris positive COVID-19 case.

Hartman said regarding Ferris ISD “Our desire is to be as transparent as possible within the confines of student and staff privacy laws, and our absolute priority is to provide a safe learning environment for all members of the FISD family.”

The student in Ferris self-reported very mild symptoms, which prompted the test. Ferris ISD partners with a medical group out of Arlington that provides rapid antigen test kits and has trained school personnel to administer. The rapid test is then followed by a doctor consultation to review test results and conduct case history review and diagnosis. The entire process takes less than an hour to complete.

“Upon the case history review it was determined that this particular individual had a known exposure to a COVID-19 positive person from out-of-state that had recently visited,” Hartman said.

The Ellis County Office of Emergency Management in Ellis County emailed, “Twelve [student] cases overall have been reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), three out of the 12 reported cases have been listed recovered.”  

Ferris ISD has invested over $55,000 in personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer stations, and electrostatic sprayers to treat school facilities. Additionally, the district has increased its cleaning and janitorial budgets by about 20% this year in anticipation of the ongoing increased costs.