Updated October 17, 2023
August 4, 2021
Schley County COVID Protocols and Guidance for 2023-24 School-Year (Subject to change according to CDC guidance)
Staff and Students:
Masks-Staff and students are not required but may wear masks inside the school buildings, on buses, or on any other portion of the school campus.
Facility- All classrooms are equipped with air purification systems, as well as large group commons areas. Increased cleaning efforts will be maintained throughout the building, play area, and buses.
Notifications- Parents will be notified via phone/email/ letter if a positive case occurs within the classroom setting. All notifications should signal immediate monitoring of symptoms by parents.
Quarantines- Mandated precautionary school quarantines will no longer be issued. Schools will notify parents/staff when a positive COVID-19 case occurs in an individual’s classroom. This notification will request that students/staff monitor for symptoms and mask accordingly. We will continue to report to DPH all positive cases.
Positive cases and Isolations- We ask that parents or staff notify the school if a positive test is registered. If a person is diagnosed with COVID-19 and develops symptoms, isolation may be discontinued when at least 5 days have passed from the positive test date, and at least 24 hours have passed since the last fever without the use of fever-reducing drugs. If symptoms are not improving or fever has not resolved, the person should stay in isolation until these criteria are met. If leaving isolation before 10 days have passed, the person should wear a well-fitting mask for the remainder of 10 days. For any situation warranting testing for COVID-19, the student should not return to school while awaiting results.
Staff exposures- Every effort will be made to work with staff regardless of vaccination status and where the point of exposure occurred. Staff members will continue to work to ensure adequate staffing, so long as they are asymptomatic, don masks while on duty, and comply with all other quarantine requirements for the duration of the ten-day period.
****Parents are encouraged to utilize the calculator from the Georgia Department of Public Health (COVID Quarantine Calculator | Georgia Department of Public Health) to determine the appropriate number of days for quarantines or isolations.
Schley County School District will continue to monitor cases and the issued recommendations. The ability to remain sufficiently staffed will determine any alterations in the continued daily operation of the Schley County Schools.
****Protocols are issued guidance and will be subject to change as warranted by future guidance.
January 5 DPH Administrative Guidance
Protocols and Guidance for 2021-22 (Updated 1/13/22)(Updated 8/12/21)(Updated 11/11/21)
Schley County COVID Protocols and Guidance January 13, 2022 (Subject to change according to CDC guidance)
Staff and Students:
Masks- All students are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks while inside or among large groups where spacing is limited. Masks are required on school buses.
Facility- All classrooms are equipped with air purification systems, as well as large group commons areas. Increased cleaning efforts will be maintained throughout the building, play area, and buses.
Notifications- Parents will be notified via phone/email/ letter if a positive case occurs within the classroom setting. All notifications should signal immediate monitoring of symptoms by parents.
Quarantines- Each school will notify parents/ staff promptly when direct exposure has occurred and a person is determined as a close contact. Quarantines will be set by current DPH guidance. The recommended time for quarantine is five (5) days from last known exposure, if the person remains asymptomatic, with 5 additional days of wearing a well-fitting mask. Modified quarantine will be applied when the 6ft distancing is in question only if the student in question was properly masked. Notifications will still be made and the student may remain at school as long as they remain properly masked and asymptomatic.
Positive cases and Isolations- We ask that students or staff notify the school if a positive test is registered. If a person is diagnosed with COVID-19 and develops symptoms, isolation may be discontinued when at least 5 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, and at least 24 hours have passed since the last fever without the use of fever-reducing drugs, and symptoms have improved (e.g., cough, shortness of breath). If symptoms are not improving or fever has not resolved, the person should stay in isolation until these criteria are met. If leaving isolation before 10 days have passed, the person should wear a well-fitting mask for the remainder of 10 days. Students or staff that become positive must stay home for 10 days from the onset of symptoms and follow the guidance of their physician. If any situation warrants testing for Covid, the student should not return to school while awaiting results.
Staff exposures- Every effort will be made to work with staff regardless of vaccination status and where the point of exposure occurred. Staff members will continue to work to ensure adequate staffing, so long as they are asymptomatic, don masks while on duty, and comply with all other quarantine requirements for the duration of the ten-day period.
Other precautions- Cohort groupings will be maintained as much as possible as done at the beginning of the year. Efforts will be made to limit mass group class changes for classes and arrival/ dismissal.
****Parents are encouraged to utilize the calculator from the Georgia Department of Public Health (COVID Quarantine Calculator | Georgia Department of Public Health) to determine the appropriate number of days for quarantines or isolations.
Schley County School District will continue to monitor cases and the issued recommendations. The ability to remain sufficiently staffed will determine any alterations in the continued daily operation of the Schley County Schools.
****Protocols are issued guidance and will be subject to change as warranted by future guidance.