Reopening Presentation on Tuesday
If you are interested, Dr. Noonan will be providing an update on the school reopening on Tuesday night. Here are the presentation slides that have been posted on BoardDocs. Summary below, but tune in on Tuesday at 7 on the FCCPS Youtube channel for Dr. Noonan’s presentation. If you have questions for the board or want to make a public comment, send them to Marty Gadell gadellm@fccps.org. Two big changes (which are themselves subject to change based on public health recommendations):
3 feet physical distancing rather than 6 feet
Quarantine rules have changed and, for the unvaccinated, are dependent on masking
With 96 percent of staff vaccinated and with a successful summer session under its belt, FCCPS appears ready to reopen safely for full-time instruction while also being mindful of the current increase in cases in Northern Virginia and the spread of the Delta variant. Everyone will continue to wear masks, but the rules for quarantining and spacing are different than in the spring. One big change is that physical distancing recommendations are now for 3 feet where possible (rather than 6 feet). This will allow for more normal use of space in all schools and will alleviate the need for overflow hubs in the high school.
Another big change is in quarantine requirements (NOTE: these may change based on public health recommendations). Positive cases will be required to quarantine for 10 days or until cleared by the health department, and those who are unvaccinated and unmasked (along with anyone exposed and showing symptoms) will also be required to quarantine in the event of an exposure. For the unvaccinated students, there is no need for the exposed students to quarantine if everyone involved in the exposure is masked. Vaccinated staff and students who are not showing symptoms will also not be required to quarantine. This change will allow for more continuity of education and reduce the number of disruptions. This is a huge change from the spring that allows for a greater return to normalcy, but remember, the guidance might change.
One thing I am curious about is how Covid testing will be supported (as the CDC recommends testing after exposure). The presentation mentions working with the health department for access to testing. I’m just curious what that looks like on the ground. With the change in quarantine rules, will the schools also require testing for exposed students and staff who do not have to quarantine? If so, will school nurses or FCHD staff provide testing on school grounds for exposed students and staff? Or will students and staff need to get tested outside of school? If that’s the case, will staff be allocated special sick leave for getting tested, and how will the burden on families be reduced, especially on families that are less able to take time off work or have other difficulty navigating the healthcare system?
Overall, we are in a much, much better place than at the beginning of last school year. Vaccines provide significant protection for those 12 and older, and the guidelines recognize that schools using various mitigation strategies have not been environments for rampant transmission of Covid so far. Even with this progress, there may be setbacks and (almost certainly) some frustration. Open communication and responsiveness (with a pinch of grace) are the starting point for addressing community concerns.
