To date, the agency has ordered 50 million disposable face masks, 10 million gloves, 40,000 infrared and noncontact thermometers, and 500,000 gallons of hand sanitizer for distribution across Texas public school districts. Additional purchases the TEA is considering include reusable masks, face shields and desk dividers, according to the release.
The TEA used 2019-20 student and on-campus staff counts to allocate equipment to each district. The agency considers on-campus staff to include teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals and auxiliary staff.
For example, Round Rock ISD, a district of approximately 50,546 students and 6,310 on-campus staff, has been allotted 456,800 disposable masks, 190,557 gloves, 375 thermometers and 4,699 gallons of hand sanitizer.
The equipment is expected to arrive between mid-July and early August, per the TEA's announcement.
"Districts maintain the discretion and responsibility for distributing the PPE according to their local context," the release states.
Superintendents are able to request a smaller allotment than the TEA recommends, should they choose. Here are the TEA's recommended allotments for every public school district in the state of Texas.
