LIST: Dozens of North Texas districts closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks

North Texas districts hoping COVID-19 closures bring down case number after MLK Day

Across North Texas, significant staffing shortages within school districts continue to cause widespread closures.

MANSFIELD, Texas - Students in more than three dozen school districts are getting a longer weekend because of COVID-19.

Many smaller districts in mostly rural parts of North Texas decided to cancel classes on Thursday and Friday either because of a high number of student-related COVID-19 cases or a lack of staffing and teachers because of the virus.

With the MLK holiday on Monday, district leaders across the region hope the additional time off will help slow the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 omicron variant.

School closures as of 1 p.m. Friday:

Argyle ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Avalon ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Blooming Grove ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Boyd ISD has canceled all classes from Wednesday, January 12 through Friday, January 14. Classes will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Campbell ISD has canceled all classes from Thursday, January 13 through Friday, January 21. Classes will resume Monday, January 24.
Clarksville ISD is temporarily closing two campuses: Clarksville Middle High School and Cheatham Elementary School will be closed until Thursday, January 20.
Cooper ISD's elementary campus will be closed Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Cranfills Gap ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Detroit ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Dew ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Eustace ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Fairfield ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Fannin ISD has moved classes to virtual learning Thursday, January 13 through Monday, January 17. Face-to-face learning resumes Tuesday, January 18.
Gainesville ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Greenville ISD has canceled classes at Carver Elementary on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18. Parents can still pick up meals at the school.
Honey Grove ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Italy ISD will be closed Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Itasca ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Kaufman ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Keene ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Kemp ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Krum ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
LaPoynor ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Malakoff ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Mansfield ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14 through Tuesday, January 18. School will resume Wednesday, January 19.
Maypearl ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18. No UIL activities have been canceled at this time.
Mesquite ISD will be closed on Tuesday, January 18 and Wednesday, January 19. School will resume on Thursday, January 20.
Mexia ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Mullin ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Monday, January 17.
Murchison ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Northwest ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14 through Tuesday, January 18. School will resume Wednesday, January 19.
Palmer ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Pilot Point ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Poolville ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Monday, January 17.
Red Oak ISD Friday, January 14 is a student holiday and in-person staff workday.
Rio Vista ISD canceled all classes the week of January 10. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Rivercrest ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Monday, January 17.
Trinidad ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
Venus ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14. School will resume Tuesday, January 18.
White Settlement ISD will be closed on Friday, January 14 through Tuesday, January 18. School will resume on Wednesday, January 19.

Dozens of school districts closing due to COVID-19

The surge in COVID-19 cases has more than three dozen school districts canceling classes at some or all campuses. Most are in rural districts. One larger district, Northwest ISD with 25,000 students, will make an announcement today about its plans.

Earlier this week, Rio Vista ISD, south of Fort Worth, canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday because too many staff members were out sick and the district did not have enough substitutes. The district later announced it would remain closed for the remainder of the week and resume Tuesday.

Red Oak ISD in Ellis County is closing on Friday and the district said it is deep cleaning all campuses.

"We really just felt with the safety of our students and staff to take that additional day," said Red Oak ISD spokesperson Beth Trimble.

Red Oak ISD started its spring semester Monday. The district of about 6,300 students currently has 43 staff members and 81 students out with COVID-19.

With there being a substitute teacher shortage, the district decided to cancel all classes Friday, and students would not return until after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

MORE: Coronavirus coverage

Parents said they are okay with the decision.

"Honestly, it doesn’t bother me one way or the other," said Red Oak Middle School parent Andrea Kleist.

"I do think the precautions are needed," Red Oak Middle School parent Latoya Thomas said.

"I am good with it, I think for the health and safety of everybody," parent and district employee Audrey Enlowe said.

Kleist said she has already kept her children home from school recently.

"If they've been exposed or have symptoms, I don’t send my kid to school," she said.

After the Centers for Disease Control changed the quarantine time for adults from 10 days to five days, the Texas Education Agency updated its guidance.

Red Oak officials said the change will help bring back more staff next week.

"Sub shortages is an issue nationwide, as everyone knows. It’s a matter of just making sure our students are operational, bus drivers, nutrition workers, that we have all hands on deck," Trimble added.

Red Oak ISD staff members are tested on the 5th day of quarantine before returning to work.

Experts predict COVID-19 hospitalizations will double by the end of the month

There is a new warning for everyone about the expected continuing surge in COVID-19 cases. Dr. Trish Perl, the chief of infectious diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center, joined Good Day to talk about the latest projections. In Dallas County, hospitalizations may double by the end of the month with more than 10,000+ new cases daily.