At the June 28, 2022, the Board of School Directors provided direction to the District on the Health & Safety Plan for the 2022-2023 school year. The goal of the plan is to return to pre-pandemic normal unless directed otherwise due to an outbreak.

Highlights of the 2022-2023 Health & Safety Plan are as follows:

What to do if your child is showing COVID-19 symptoms?
Students should stay home from school if they are experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19. Per our board-approved Health and Safety plan, it is up to each parent/guardian to determine when their child is healthy enough to return to school.

My child has tested positive for COVID-19. When can he/she return to school?
Per our board-approved Health and Safety plan, it is up to each parent/guardian to determine when their child is healthy enough to return to school following a positive COVID-19 test. We do encourage families to follow these three basic RECOMMENDATIONS from our school physician (Penn State Health) when their child has tested positive for COVID-19. With parents, guardians, and students following these recommendations on when to return to school, the District hopes to avoid the need to transition to virtual learning due to a COVID-19 outbreak in our schools.

• RECOMMENDATION #1: Stay home from school for a minimum of five days after testing positive for COVID-19, regardless of how severe the symptoms are.
  
• RECOMMENDATION #2: Only return when the student tests negative for COVID-19 OR COVID-19 symptoms are resolving. Resolving symptoms include fever free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication AND other COVID- 19 symptoms (cough, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, body aches, chills, fatigue, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, headache, nausea, diarrhea) are improving.
  
• RECOMMENDATION #3: While masking is a personal choice, students returning to school are encouraged to wear a face-covering for up to the tenth day after their positive COVID-19 test.

Will students, staff, and school visitors be required to wear a face-covering in school buildings or vehicles?
No. Masking will be a personal choice and WILL NOT be required in school buildings or vehicles.

Will the District be employing any physical distancing mitigation strategies?
No. Classrooms and food courts will return to pre-pandemic configurations.

Will the District be contact tracing?
No. The District will no longer contact trace when positive COVID-19 cases are identified.

Will families be notified when their child has been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case?
No. The District will no longer contact trace. As such, notification will not occur.

Will the District publish a COVID Case Count Dashboard?
No. With the elimination of contact tracing, the District will no longer publish a COVID Case Count Dashboard.

Will the District employ any mitigation strategies?
Yes. The District will focus on enhanced cleaning of high touch points, emphasizing hand washing and proper hygiene practices, and maintaining increased ventilation in our school buildings.

Will the District utilize plexiglass partitions in school cafeterias?
No. Plexiglass partitions were a component of our safe physical distancing and contact tracing strategies, which we are no longer doing. As such, we will not utilize plexiglass partitions in our school cafeterias.

Will high school students eat in the auditorium?
No. Eating in the auditorium was a component of our safe physical distancing and contact tracing strategies, which we are no longer doing. As such, all students will be able to eat in the cafeteria.

Can the Health & Safety Plan change during the year?
Absent a mandatory, valid, and binding order from a government agency; any mitigation requirement may only occur after collaboration between the EASD Board of Directors and District administration and with an affirmative vote of the EASD Board of Directors at a publicly held meeting.

- CLICK HERE for the full 2022-2023 Health & Safety Plan