Changes to COVID-19 Notification

As the school year unfolds, we are continually monitoring and evaluating our COVID-19 procedures. Based on how things are currently going, we are making two changes to our notification process, which will take effect this week.

1. We will no longer send schoolwide exposure notices each time a positive case is identified. Instead, we will send a weekly update to all families with the total number of positive cases for each grade that week (if any). Schools will continue to notify close contacts.
2. We will no longer send exposure letters for transportation due to the fact that everyone on the bus wears a mask and the rides are short. Positive cases will be reflected in the weekly school email.

We also want to clarify the assumptions we make when we are determining who was or was not in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.

In school, we assume that:

• Students are a minimum of 3-feet apart.
• Masks are worn at all times except when eating lunch and outside.
• Breakfast and snack time are each less than 15 minutes.
• Everyone is masked on buses and the bus rides are typically less than 30 minutes.

For athletics, we assume that:

• Athletes are masked when not actively playing in a game or practice.
• When not playing, athletes are socially distanced.
• Athletes are in the locker room for fewer than 15 minutes before or after games or practices.
• If someone on the team tests positive for COVID-19 an exposure letter will be sent to the team and coaches.

Our goal is to openly communicate positive COVID-19 cases in schools, while also balancing the level of communication that families need with what our staff can manage. 

Keeping our students and staff safe will always be a top priority, but we can’t do it alone. Please make sure you are conducting a home health screening each day before leaving home. Students and staff should not come to school if they have any COVID-19 symptoms.

Look for follow-up messages this week on social media and via email with reminders about what we can all do to help ensure schools are “symptom-free zones.” From home health screenings to proper mask use, these daily practices can go a long way to helping keep COVID-19 out of our schools.

If you have any questions about the changes in notification practices listed above, please contact Darby Swank or Mary Clarkson, COVID-19 Coordinators.

Darby Swank: darby.swank@rpsmn.org
Mary Clarkson: mary.clarkson@rpsmn.org