2021-2022 Return to Schools

updated 3/11/2022    

Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools welcome students back to everyday school for in-person learning. An online option will not be available this school year. We will implement safety protocols to the largest extent possible but any student who attends school will incur some level of risk. We will decrease the likelihood of infection with hygiene such as hand washing and hand sanitizer being available, cleaning/sanitizing, and safety procedures, but being in a public place has a certain level of risk that cannot be eliminated. The district will continue to monitor the situation and may make changes accordingly. This may include, but is not limited to, requiring masks, requiring masks in specific situations or grade levels, requiring masks on a temporary basis, limiting group work, going to a hybrid schedule, etc. We ask for your patience and understanding throughout these times.

Masks

• Grades K-12: Students, staff, and visitors are allowed to wear a mask while indoors, but are not required. (updated 10/29/21)

• BSS dropped the requirement to wear face masks on our school buses… “Effective February 25, 2022, CDC is exercising its enforcement discretion to not require that people wear masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems…

Daily Self-Monitoring

• We encourage and recommend students, staff, and visitors to conduct a self-assessment at home prior to coming to school or school events and if you are sick, stay at home.

Student Illnesses

• Any student with a fever over 100.4F should stay home.

• Any student that has the symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home from school and should see their primary care provider to be assessed for COVID-19.

Communications when a student/staff member has been diagnosed with a COVID 19 and close contacts for the classroom setting.

• All parents or legal guardians of students, as well as school staff, must notify the school of a confirmed diagnosis within 24 hours.

• Effective March 10, ODH no longer requires school districts to report positive COVID-19 cases to the local health department and no longer requires school districts to report positive cases to parents.The COVID-19 dashboard will no longer be active starting on March 14, 2022. 

• ODH issued updated guidance on 1/26/22 regarding contact tracing at schools. Based on this new guidance, BSS will conduct contact tracing only in cases where we are asked by GCPH to assist in case investigation and exposures related to outbreaks or clusters in schools. In the instances of non-school exposures, Mask to Stay / Test to Play protocols can now be followed.

Returning to School After Illness

• If your child has been medically diagnosed as positive for COVID-19. Per Ohio Department of Health and Greene County Health protocols, your child should stay at home and isolate for the next 5 days regardless of symptoms or vaccination status. 

They must meet the following criteria to return to school:

24 hours with no fever (without using fever-reducing medication) AND

Other symptoms are better AND

Wear a mask for the next 5 days

• Students that only have a fever and no other symptoms and have not had any contact with an individual that has COVID-19 may return to school after they are fever-free for 24 hours without using any fever-reducing medications.  

• Any other illnesses should be handled in a routine manner according to district policies.

Vaccines

• COVID-19 vaccines for those eligible (students, staff, and visitors) will be optional, leaving this decision up to each family.

  • ODH “strongly recommends vaccinations for staff and eligible students" and CDC states ”Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.”  You may find the vaccination location nearest you by visiting https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov

                                   Contact Information for Greene County Public Health

937-374-5600         [email protected]        https://www.gcph.info/

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