COVID-19 Policies - What is staying and what is changing after April 4, 2022
With the upcoming change in mask requirements, we realize there are many questions about what other changes there may be in district COVID-19 policies. The following is a brief summary of the most inquired about topics. Please note, this is not meant to be a comprehensive guide, and as guidance from public health agencies change our policies may change as well.
For more detailed information and updates, please refer to the COVID-19 Information page, the FAQ page and the Staff Campus Access Guide* (staff) or Back to School Guide* (students).
*updated versions of these resources will be posted after April 4
Masks
- After students and staff return from spring break on April 4, 2022 masks will be strongly encouraged but no longer required. This includes on school buses.
- Masks will remain mandatory in healthcare settings (school health offices, go-home tents and COVID-19 testing areas).
- Masks will continue to be available for any staff or student who would like to wear one.
- In the event that the State or County were to revert to requiring masks at schools, the District would follow those guidelines. Similarly, if the COVID-19 risk in our area increased to a level that would necessitate requiring masks, the District would follow the best medical advice and practices recommended.
Health and Safety
- Enhanced ventilation and filtration remains.
- Enhanced cleaning after positive cases remains.
- Proper hand hygiene is always encouraged, with hand sanitizer available in classrooms and offices.
- Weekly asymptomatic testing is still available and encouraged.
- All eligible students age 5 and older are encouraged to get vaccinated. All staff are fully vaccinated or have a vaccine accommodation in place.
Contact Tracing and Case Management
- Students and staff should continue to self-monitor using the symptom checklist or ClearPass (submitting results is not necessary). If symptoms are present, students should stay home and notify the school health office to receive next steps. Staff should stay home, notify their supervisor and follow the e-Decision Tree.
- Contact tracing is managed by the District’s central contact tracing team. A new notification process for students identified as close contacts is now in place. A general notification letter to all families will no longer be sent out. Instead, the contact tracing team will send out group notifications to students who were indoors with the COVID-19 positive individual for longer than 15 minutes.
- Individual contact tracing will remain for staff per OSHA guidelines.
Classroom Operations
- There are no distancing requirements in classrooms, however distancing as much as possible is encouraged.
- Grouping students in cohorts is no longer required as it is not necessary for contact tracing and the extra protection cohorting offers isn’t great enough to outweigh the impacts it has on students’ educational experiences.
- Students are allowed to work in groups.
- All field trips are permitted.
Lunch and Recess
- Recess ‘pods’ are no longer required for health precautions or for contact tracing.
- Eating outdoors and distancing when possible is still highly recommended for meal times.
- Water fountains are able to be used by students. Fillable water bottles are highly recommended.
Visitors on Campus
- On-campus visitors are still recommended to be limited to essential volunteers only. Site administrators will determine what is essential to the school program.
- Volunteers must follow all district protocols, i.e., proof of vaccination and/or weekly testing.
- Parents/guardians and other family members are permitted to be on campus for special events.
Special Events
- Special events are permitted as long as the indoor or outdoor event guidance is followed.
- Special events include, but are not limited to, open houses, assemblies, performances, and optional trainings. Masks are strongly recommended, but not required.
- Dances and pep rallies must be held outdoors.
Visual and Performing Arts
- Masks are not required for performers.
- Covers for wind instruments are still mandatory.
- Spectators at performances are permitted. Masks are strongly recommended, but not required.
Athletics
- Masks are not required for athletes.
- Weekly testing for unvaccinated student athletes is still required.
- Spectators are allowed at athletic events. Masks are strongly recommended, but not required.
Mental Health and Anti Bullying Resources
- As a school community, it is important to keep in mind the unique feelings and circumstances of each individual in their choice to continue wearing a mask or not. We fully support the decision of all students, families, and staff. Harassment or bullying of anyone based on this personal choice will not be tolerated.
- Below are some great resources for staff and families to help students understand and ease fears and anxiety they may be experiencing:
Again, this is not an exhaustive list and policies may change based on public health guidance. For more detailed information and updates, please refer to the FAQ page and the Staff Campus Access Guide* (staff) or Back to School Guide* (students).
*updated versions of these resources to be posted after April 4