Lake Community:
The last 18 months have been challenging for all of us. Last year, it was our decision to be in school all day, everyday and to provide quality instruction in a clean and safe environment while also providing an online option for students who wished to learn in an alternate setting. As the year went by, we continued to persevere and everyone saw what can happen when we trust in each other and put in the work.
When the 2020-21 school year ended I thought the pandemic was in our rearview mirror. Unfortunately that is not the case and as we move closer to the beginning of the 2021-22 year, it will require us to make difficult decisions and adapt.
We are continuing to work closely with the Wood County Health Department and other county districts for guidance and recommendations on how to safely bring everyone back on campus. Like last year, we are committed to being in school everyday because we believe that to be best for the majority of our students. We will also continue to monitor and track our data and communicate regularly when needed. COVID cases in this area are relatively low now, but there has been a significant percentage increase of cases over the past few weeks and we are monitoring this closely.
As I write this communication, the C.D.C, State, and County health departments recommend that masks be worn indoors but not required regardless of vaccination status. With that in mind, regardless of your vaccination status, Lake is not requiring that anyone wear a mask indoors but we do recommend it. This information is subject to change at any time and, I am sorry to say, it could change without much notice.
We look forward to relaxing some of the restrictions that were placed on us last year but we will make decisions and adapt our protocols based on data and consultation with our local health department. We continue to ask (plead?) for your continued patience and flexibility.
It is important that we all do our part to keep each other safe and healthy by adhering to safety guidelines no matter what our position is on vaccines, masking, and any other part of this pandemic that has been so polarizing. Please make sure that you read all the safety policies and procedures that follow.
Thank you!
Jim Witt
POLICIES FOR INCORPORATING MITIGATION STRATEGIES
While we plan to remain flexible with our decisions and base any changes on local data affecting our school building and community, we will continue to partner with the Wood County Health Department in our decision making process. Keeping students safely in school face to face will remain the ultimate goal.
The following protocols will be in place at the beginning of the school year:
Masks:
The CDC, Ohio Department of Health, and the Wood County Health Department are not requiring universal mask wearing in schools. We are not requiring masks, but we recommend all individuals wear a mask indoors.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has shared with school districts that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Federal order requires that those individuals that ride or drive a school bus/van must wear a mask. Therefore students and staff on school buses and vans are required to wear a mask until further notice. This includes to and from co-curricular and extracurricular events. We will continue to monitor this federal mandate.
Social distancing:
Handwashing etiquette:
Handwashing reduces all diseases, not just COVID. It is especially important before eating and should be incorporated at regular intervals throughout the day.
Covering your coughs and sneezes prevents the spread of germs.
Reinforcing this practice will help to minimize the spread of disease should someone become symptomatic during the school day. It also prevents the spread of illnesses that look like COVID, thereby reducing the need for testing in the school community.
Materials and Cleaning:
Materials can be shared.
If students or employees prefer their own materials, this will be accommodated.
Handwashing and sanitizing will continue as these are healthy hygiene practices.
Employees will continue normal cleaning and sanitizing routines of common surfaces.
Regular disinfecting of school bus seats will continue.
An electrostatic disinfectant sprayer will continue to be used throughout the school year.
Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the state and local health departments:
Positive individuals should stay home or will be sent home immediately upon disclosure of a positive case.
Positive test results should be reported to the school nurse ASAP.
Contact tracing will be completed by our district and the Wood County Health Department.
We will defer to the Wood County Health Department on return dates and decisions on isolations/quarantines.
All quarantines and positive cases are documented and sent electronically to the Wood County Health Department. The COVID Dashboard will be used for the 2021-2022 School Year.
Diagnostic and screening testing
Per the recommendation of the Wood County Health Department, parents are asked to do daily checks with students for potential Covid symptoms, especially runny noses and/or flu like symptoms. Staff members will be asked to do the same.
Efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff and eligible students
The Lake Local School District participated in vaccination clinics for the Pfiizer vaccine on February 19th and March 12th, 2021 for all district employees. We also held vaccine clinics on our campus during the spring and summer for eligible students, staff, and community members. We will also be holding another vaccine clinic on August 19th.
Lake Local Schools will not be mandating vaccinations for students or employees. However, we do encourage families to educate themselves on facts regarding the vaccine from trusted sources.
Drinking Fountains
Drinking fountains will continue to be turned off, however, we have several bottle filling stations in all of our buildings.
Please have your child bring a water bottle every day with them to school.
Lunch
We will follow regular food and beverage guidance as required by health department regulations.
Social distancing will not be possible with all students in the cafeteria, but seating charts will be maintained for contract tracing.
Transportation
Masks are required on school transportation. As mentioned above, this is a federal mandate. We will continue to monitor this mandate.
Students will be socially distanced as much as possible on the buses and seating charts will be maintained for contact tracing.
Meetings
Guests/Visitors
Guests and visitors will be allowed in school buildings for approved activities by building principals.
Guests and visitors should self-screen for symptoms and stay home if symptomatic for any illness.
Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to the health and safety policies
The following changes to the protocols listed MAY BE IMPLEMENTED AND IF CASES AND SPREAD INCREASE within the community and/or the school buildings. If cases or quarantines become significant within the buildings the following additional protocols will be reviewed for implementation:
Masks
Students and staff may be required to wear masks at all times indoors.
Visitors may be required to wear a mask indoors
Event attendance may require masks at events.
Social Distancing
Guests/Visitors
Capacity
Ohio Department of Health Information Regarding Quarantines and Isolations:
The new guidance is for classroom exposure. This does not cover outside of school exposure through family, athletics, clubs, etc. Those will be handled through discussion with families and the Wood County Health Department.
Vaccination status and masks will be considered when tracing close contacts to a positive case of COVID.
The old guidance stated that for students to remain in school BOTH the positive case and the close contact needed to have masks. The guideline, according to the Ohio Department of Health, has now changed and a mask can keep a student from being a close contact no matter if the positive case had a mask.
The current guidance has 5 specific student examples and they all assume the student is asymptomatic:
Vaccinated students who wear a mask - if this student is determined to be close contact, they do not have to quarantine.
Vaccinated students who do not wear masks - if this student is determined to be a close contact they can remain in school by wearing a mask for 14 days OR getting a negative test on day 3-5 after exposure.
Non-Vaccinated students who wear a mask - if this student is determined to be a close contact they can remain in school by wearing a mask for 14 days OR getting a negative test 5 days after exposure.
Non-Vaccinated students who do not wear masks - if this student is determined to be a close contact they will be required to be quarantined out of school by the Wood County Health Department for 14 days or until they receive a negative test after 7 days.
Any positive case will still be required by the Wood County Health Department to isolate for at least 10 days.
We understand that any decision on masks will make some families uncomfortable. As stated before in this document, our district is recommending that students and staff wear masks but they are not required to do so. We will continue to provide information as it becomes available. The Wood County Health Department will be releasing more information.