Dear JCS Community,
Thank you for your ongoing patience and support as we continue the important work of serving children. With your commitment and partnership, we are keeping the doors open and children learning every day. I am writing to inform you of a significant change issued this week from the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR). You can review the full document HERE, or the short version below.
Essentially, there are now two masking policies school systems can adopt, universal masking or not universal masking. Schools have different requirements depending on the policy they follow. Currently, JCS operates under a universal masking policy. Based on the new requirements, the following will be in place as of Friday, February 4, 2022:
- JCS will discontinue contact tracing as of Friday, February 4, 2022.
- JCS will resume notifying families of a verified positive case in their student’s classroom/school.
- JCS will continue to offer a VOLUNTARY test to stay program that offers staff and students on-site access to free COVID-19 testing if they so desire.
The latest guidelines bring significant change to how schools operate during the pandemic and the impact of masks on in-person learning. Because the decision for universal masking was based on keeping students in school, the Jefferson County Board of Education will convene a special meeting on Monday, February 14th at 6:00 pm ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting to devote additional time to determine if the new guidelines warrant a change in the universal masking policy.
Thank you again for the trust and partnership in navigating today’s difficult decisions in education.
Sincerely,
Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn, Ed.D.
Superintendent
When student or staff is exposed to COVID-19 in a county/school with a universal mask policy
Schools may discontinue contact tracing when layered prevention strategies are in place, which includes a universal mask policy.
• Close contacts regardless of vaccination status may continue in-person learning if they remain asymptomatic.
• With a universal mask policy, contact tracing would no longer be required for times when students are not wearing masking such as during lunch, gym, or during extracurricular activities.
• Parents and guardians should be notified when a positive case is reported in the classroom/ school so they may monitor their child for signs and symptoms.
• Students and staff should stay home and get tested if they start to experience symptoms associated with COVID-19.
• It is recommended that schools not conducting contact tracing consider implementing a screening program for unmasked extracurricular activities that prioritizes safe play. Weekly screening testing is recommended for participating youth when community transmission is high or substantial as defined by CDC.
When student or staff is exposed to COVID-19 in a county/school without a universal mask policy
• Schools continuing universal contact tracing may implement a test-to-stay strategy.
• Recommends testing the unvaccinated student or staff on the date the student or staff has been identified as a close contact and again 5 days after exposure.
• After testing negative, individual may continue in-person learning if the student or staff remains asymptomatic and continue the testing recommendation.
• A well fitted mask should be worn always following an exposure to someone with COVID-19 through day 10 in the school.
• The test to stay strategy allows for youth to continue to participate in unmasked extracurricular activities (days 0-10).