Adjusted guidance from Lyon County Public Health means adjusted COVID-19 policies for USD 253 Emporia.
According to Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern, there are three main categories for these tweaks that were approved Friday. One of those deals with exemptions and exceptions. Fully-vaccinated students and students who have had COVID over the past six months are already exempt, and Millbern says there is now a “classroom exemption” policy.
If exposed students have been using masks and at least three feet of social distancing, they are exempted from quarantine, meaning they can take part in extracurricular activities and visit relatives — but they will be asked to wear masks whether at school or out in public and to track for symptoms for two weeks after initial exposure.
Public Health also dropped the need for universal mask policies for schools to qualify for the modified “Test to Stay and Learn” quarantine policy. Students deemed at low risk for close contact, including a school exposure with three-foot social distancing use — regardless of mask use — could qualify for modified quarantine.
These students can take part in school and school-based extracurricular activities, but they will have to be tested daily and they will have to quarantine for 14 days whenever they are out of school. Millbern also says schools have to participate in modified quarantine for students to be eligible.
USD 253 Interim Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Brad Kempf says changes in mitigation practices such as this will likely be a common occurrence in the coming months. He says flexibility will continue to be key for all students, staff and families as the pandemic continues.
In regards to Public Health dropping the need for universal masking for schools to qualify for the modified “Test to Stay and Learn” quarantine policy, Kempf says he does not anticipate any change to the district’s stance on universal mask use at this time. However; he says any alteration would ultimately be a decision left up to the USD 253 Board of Education.
Reactions from USD 251 North Lyon County and USD 252 Southern Lyon County are pending.
Millbern says Public Health “made some concessions,” but did so in an effort to make class attendance “sustainable.” She says the number of close contacts could have been too much to handle, both for schools and Public Health, if the previous setup continued. This also follows recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID-based classroom operations.
