Weekly Update for March 11 - Protocol Changes

We have reached an important inflection point in the COVID-19 pandemic this week for our schools. Based on updated guidance released yesterday from the Ohio Department of Health and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, we will be making additional adjustments to our COVID protocols and reporting procedures effectively immediately. 

Effective today, per ODH, the district has suspended case reporting on its COVID-19 Dashboard. Additionally, schools no longer report positive cases directly to the local board of health.  However, if parents contact one of our schools to report a student absence for COVID-19, we will continue with our current practice of sending informational notifications of possible exposure just as we do for other communicable illnesses, like strep. 

Masks are optional in all of our schools for students and staff. Families will continue to make individual decisions about their children’s need to continue wearing a mask based on their specific family and personal needs as well as their own risk assessment. This is in line with current CDC and state guidelines.

We will keep in place many of the current layered mitigation strategies, such as frequent hand washing, good ventilation, sanitizing and staying home when feeling ill, as they are good practice and are effective in stemming the spread of other illnesses such as the flu and other viruses.

Moving forward, we will continue to consult with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and other public health experts should community conditions change. But for now, this is excellent news as we move toward a return to normal for all of our end-of-year activities. 

Enjoy your weekend.