Based upon a review of the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) updates effective July 30, 2021 and advice from the local health department, Wilkes County Schools plan to start the 2021-2022 school year will be as follows:
Mask/Face Covering Requirements
Masks and/or face coverings will be optional for everyone in the school system as long as the county threshold of percent positive cases for school-age students remains below recommended levels. Should these levels be exceeded, this decision could be reevaluated. Updated data will be provided monthly at each scheduled board meeting, and at other times if needed. Mr. Byrd will maintain close communication with Rachel Willard to stay updated on this data. Individual school data could lead to changes at a school for a period to slow the spread of the virus.
Wilkes County Schools Administration will not tolerate bullying of those students or staff who make the personal choice to wear masks or not to wear masks. Such incidents will be treated as discipline infractions for students and personnel matters for employees.
Changes for the 2021-2022 school year will include the following unless advised to make adjustments due to local COVID metrics:
- Nonessential visitors will be allowed in schools once more.
- Field trips, assemblies, and large group activities will be allowed.
- Students will no longer be kept in small cohorts.
- Students will be allowed to dine in cafeterias with modifications and guidelines.
- Daily symptom screening will be discontinued.
- Social distancing on transportation will be maintained to the greatest extent possible.
- Remote learning options will only apply due to positive cases or quarantines.
Wilkes County Schools will utilize the layered prevention strategies outlined in the document referenced above. Examples of these include:
- Encouraging all eligible students and staff to be vaccinated.
- Require masks on buses for all persons to align with federal mandates and due to minimized social distancing. WCS will also provide masks for those students on buses who forgot to bring them.
- Ensure physical distancing to the greatest extent possible in all school settings. (3 feet between students, 6 feet between teachers and students).
- Monitor ventilation systems to ensure that they are providing the best air quality possible.
- Continue to emphasize hand hygiene, both hand washing and use of hand sanitizer.
- Continue to provide hand sanitizer at high traffic areas within schools.
- Utilize testing through the Wilkes County Health Department MESH unit and consider statewide testing resources as needed.
- Refer individuals who are symptomatic or have been a close contact to diagnostic testing.
- Posting signage at entrances requesting those who are symptomatic with fever or cough not enter.
- Encourage staff and students to sneeze into their elbows or to cover with a tissue.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces on buses prior to morning and afternoon routes.
- Provide adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene behaviors (hand sanitizers, soap, paper towels and tissues).
- Teach and reinforce handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds or the safe use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol by children and staff.
- Clean surfaces at least once per day prioritizing high-touch surfaces.
Wilkes County Schools will address possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the following manner:
- Students and staff who have symptoms should stay home and contact their health care provider for information on testing and care.
- Those who are symptomatic or diagnosed with COVID-19 must stay home until they meet the criteria for return to school.
- Symptomatic individuals will be isolated and placed in a designated area within the school.
- Symptomatic persons will be required to wear masks while waiting to leave the school.
- School nurses or staff who provide direct care to symptomatic individuals will be required to wear appropriate PPE.
- Symptomatic students will be supervised by a staff member who is at least 6 feet away and wears a mask or face covering.
Quarantine Guidance for 2021-2022
- Isolation is required for all presumptive or confirmed cases of COVID-19.
- The local health department has the authority to isolate and quarantine, and Wilkes County Schools will cooperate with them fully to ensure that this is accurately done.
- Quarantines are required for any individual who has been a close contact (within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes cumulatively over a 24-hour period) with three exceptions:
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms.
- Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 3 months, recovered and are not symptomatic.
- Those who are not fully vaccinated but were wearing a mask when the close contact occurred, as long as the symptomatic or confirmed individual was wearing a mask as well during this time. (Excludes teachers and athletic activities).
Wilkes County Schools acknowledges that wearing masks or face coverings and vaccinations prevent or shorten quarantine periods.
Quarantine Periods
The Center for Disease Control recommends quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure. Periods of quarantine can be reduced in the following two scenarios:
10 days of quarantine have been completed and no symptoms are reported during the daily home monitoring.*
7 days of quarantine have been completed, no symptoms have been reported during this time, and the individual has received a negative antigen or PCR/molecular test taken no earlier than 5 days of quarantine.*
*In both instances of discontinued quarantine, the individual should continue to monitor symptoms and strictly adhere to all non-pharmaceutical interventions (masks, social distancing, etc.). Reduced quarantine will not ensure a return to athletic activity.
COVID Testing
Covid tests will currently be provided by the MESH Unit for all symptomatic students with parental permission.
Wilkes County Schools can arrange for rapid testing to be provided to any student who is interested through an outside provider at no cost to the family. This would require some additional planning and may not be available until September of 2021. This has not been utilized earlier because testing has been readily available within our county.
The only differences between this plan and what the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12) recommends are that the Toolkit states all schools should do the following on page 8:
- Require all children and staff in schools to wear face coverings consistently when indoors.
- Require all visitors to schools to wear face coverings as well.