Quarantine Updates

A message to district families -

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) put out new guidance regarding quarantining at K-12 schools. If a student or teacher is exposed in the classroom setting to someone with COVID-19, quarantine is not recommended for the exposed child or staff member as long those exposed were wearing masks. A change in quarantine procedures does not apply in the cafeteria or for extra-curriculars. Existing quarantining procedures will continue for those areas. The Warren County Public Health supports these changes in procedures.

Before this change, any student or staff member that was within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more of someone that was COVID-19 positive had to quarantine. A study was recently completed in Ohio that examined the positivity rates of those in quarantine based on school exposure. It showed that, in a supervised classroom setting, there was no discernable difference in rates of COVID-19 among students who were close contacts with someone with the disease and students in the same grade who were not close contacts.

As we welcome back all our students on Monday, January 11, 2021, for the start of the second semester, we will continue to monitor information both internally, in the community, and around the state. If changes are needed to the schedule we will do everything we can to inform you as soon as possible. We believe that these changes in quarantine procedures, though, will dramatically increase our chances of maintaining in-person learning while at the same time providing a safe and secure learning environment.

Click on the link here for more information from ODH