Greetings from Pleasant Local Schools!
Friday morning the board held a special meeting to accept the new K12 quarantine guidelines for schools.
These new guidelines were signed into legislation in an effort to keep students in school by providing an alternative to an at home quarantine. There are 2 parts to this alternative. The first is called, “Mask to Stay” and the second is called, “Test to Play.” Eligibility to participate in Mask to Stay/Test to Play is contingent on the exposure being in the school setting or school-related activities. This legislation does not apply to household exposures or exposures outside of the school setting or school-related activities.
Additionally, in order to participate in the “Mask to Stay” and “Test to Play,” the student must be symptom free at the onset of the exposure and must remain symptom free.
The “Mask to Stay” option consists of the following components: Direct contacts, regardless of vaccination or masking status, may remain in the classroom environment if they do the following:
- Wear a mask for 14 days after their last date of exposure.
- Self-monitor, or parent-monitor, for symptoms of COVID-19.
- Isolate and get tested if they start to experience symptoms associated with COVID-19 (regardless of the level of severity).
- Consistent with guidance for others quarantining in lower-risk environments, students and staff may discontinue these quarantine procedures after seven days — if they don’t develop symptoms and test negative between days 5-7.
- When the student is not in school, they must quarantine at home.
The “Test to Play” option consists of the following components: Asymptomatic contacts may continue to participate in extracurricular activities if they do the following:
- Wear a mask when able. (This includes: transportation; locker rooms; sitting/standing on the sidelines; and anytime the mask will not interfere with breathing, the activity, or create a safety hazard.)
- Test on initial notification of exposure to COVID-19.
- Test again on days 5-7. If they are negative at this time, they will test out of quarantine.
It is important to note that the tests referenced above are required to be PCR or antigen tests. Additionally, the test is to be proctored and cannot be an over-the-counter self-administered non-proctored test.
As our district implements these new guidelines, it is important to note that our community understands how fast this delta variant is spreading and understands this variant is affecting our children. Prior to Halloween, our numbers were on a decline. However immediately following this celebratory time, our numbers have steadily increased throughout the week. We have been in contact with our health department and they are monitoring our numbers and spread amongst direct contacts, classrooms, and grade levels.
Included in this specific website post are the specifics of details from the legislative guidelines for those who want additional information. As always if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s principal or myself.
Thank you and have a great weekend!