Norfolk Public Schools is deviating from the Centers for Disease Control’s and Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department’s COVID-19 guidelines.
The NPS Board of Education approved the changes to its COVID-19 plan at its meeting on Monday. The decision comes on the heels of recent updates on COVID guidelines from the CDC and ELVPHD.
While the CDC’s guidelines for people who test positive for COVID has not changed, the agency has changed its take on masks and staying home when sick. The CDC no longer recommends that people quarantine after they have a COVID exposure, except for in certain high-risk settings. Schools are not considered high-risk settings for COVID, according to the agency.
Instead, the CDC is advising students and school staff who were exposed to COVID, but remain asymptomatic, to wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day five while remaining in school.
The CDC is also recommending people stay home when they are sick with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as a cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea.
“Currently, both the CDC and ELVPHD recommend that children should stay home for a minimum of five days if they exhibit any respiratory or gastrointestinal symptom,” Thompson said, “and only return if they wear a mask for five more days, or they receive a negative COVID test, followed by a second COVID test 48 hours later.”
Jami Jo Thompson, superintendent of NPS, said at the board of education meeting that the district believes that the CDC and ELVPHDs’ list of symptoms for staying home is too broad.
“This seems like a step backwards to our COVID team because it would result in increased student and staff absences,” Thompson said. “It would negatively impact student learning and place a higher demand on our staff and substitutes. It would also essentially require masking and testing which goes against our past protocols.”
Thompson said the district has consistently reiterated that it will not require COVID testing and masking unless cases surge to “a level where it’s necessary to keep our schools open.”
“We also want to protect our individual’s personal rights to choose whether or not to wear a mask, test for COVID or vaccinate for COVID,” Thompson said, “as long as those actions do not become necessary to keep our schools open.”
According to Thompson, the district will be continuing with its normal illness protocols.
Thompson said the district’s current plan requires students or staff who are exhibiting COVID symptoms to stay home and until their symptoms have improved for 24 hours. The only exception would be if they test positive for the virus, she said.
“We feel comfortable with these recommendations because the CDC has stated that the availability of effective treatments and prevention tools have substantially reduced the risk for medically significant COVID-19 illness,” Thompson said.
As a part of the district’s COVID-19 plan, parents are advised to:
— Screen children at home for COVID symptoms (any respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea).
— Keep children home if they are ill or exhibit COVID symptoms.
— Consider giving children a COVID test if they have symptoms, and follow the advice of your medical doctor.
— Students who are ill and/or exhibit COVID symptoms are expected to stay home from school until their symptoms are better and they are fever-free for 24 hours.
— Students who test positive for COVID must stay home for an isolation period of five days.
— They can return to school after five days if their symptoms are better and they are fever-free for 24 hours. A mask, however, is strongly recommended for an additional five days.
Future changes such as individual building or school mask mandates may be made to NPS’s protocols if COVID cases or illnesses surge, Thompson said.
“I think history speaks for itself,” said Jenna Hatfield-Waite, an NPS board of education member. “Last year seemed to function fairly smooth. Maybe one time we got close to needing to go back to masking in one building. But otherwise, for the most part, we were able to keep things pretty normal for teachers and students throughout the school.”
The Norfolk Public Schools Board of Education met for its monthly meeting Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the central administration office, 512 Phillip Ave.
The meeting lasted 168 minutes.
Board members present: Jake Claussen, Jenna Hatfield-Waite, Tammy Day, Brenda Carhart, Sandy Wolfe and Leann Widhalm. Others in attendance: Two from the media and several district administrators.
— Two public hearings were heard on the district’s tax levy request and budget for the 2022-23 school year. No comments were made to the board.
— Approved a contract for Stephanie Goodrich, the new 2022-23 NPS district behavior specialist.
— Approved the updated COVID Return to In-Person Learning (Safety) Protocols
— Approved the addition of an assistant speech coach at the junior high
— Approve Board Policies 1000-1120 related to community relations
