Local Health Authorities for Tarrant County, Arlington and Burleson Withdraw Joint Control Order Regarding In-School Start Dates
By Office of Communication
Posted on July 31, 2020, July 31, 2020

The Joint Control Order, part of the ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19, was withdrawn Thursday after State Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a letter opinion that local health authorities were not authorized to close public or private schools before there is evidence of actual infection in the school.

The Local Health Authorities for Tarrant County, the City of Arlington and the City of Burleson have withdrawn a Joint Control Order that would have required classes to be online only through at least Sept. 28, 2020, for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students attending public and non-religious private schools in Tarrant County.

The Joint Control Order, part of the ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19, was withdrawn Thursday after State Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a letter opinion that local health authorities were not authorized to close public or private schools before there is evidence of actual infection in the school. 

Though the Local Health Authorities have not changed their medical opinions or recommendations, they said they decided to withdraw the Joint Control Order in light of Paxton’s letter opinion and to eliminate any confusion for school districts and parents.

Click here to read the withdrawn Joint Control Order.

Mansfield ISD has subsequently announced that all students will begin school remotely on Aug. 12 and that the start for in-person classes will move up from Sept. 28 to Sept. 8.

Arlington ISD will still begin school remotely on Aug. 17 but the district announced this week that it will reassess the possibility of starting in-person classes after four weeks instead of starting in-person instruction on Sept. 28.


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