KSD Health and Wellness Update
February 15, 2022
Mask Recommended - February 22, 2022
Masks will be recommended, but not required, in all KSD schools effective February 22, 2022. If the building COVID-19 positivity rate reaches 1.5% at an individual school, students and staff will be required to wear masks at that school for at least two weeks. We will include daily updates on the number of cases for each school on our dashboard and notify families and staff if a change to masking status is needed.
As we did in December, we want to ensure clarity about the details of the plan, as well as the metrics we will use in cases when masks may again be required in schools.
Mask Recommended Learning Environment Plan (Beginning February 22, 2022)
Kirkwood School District will utilize a mask-recommended environment for Kirkwood staff and students in grades PK-12 beginning February 22, 2022 for our schools. This new mask-recommended environment will provide choice for individuals if certain criteria are met at each school, including percentage of positive active cases (7-Day Cumulative by Building).
Per Kirkwood School District Board of Education Policy EBB: Students or employees with communicable diseases that pose a risk of transmission in school or at school activities will be managed as required by law and in accordance with guidelines provided by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and local county or city health departments. Such management may include, but is not limited to, exclusion from school or reassignment as needed for the health and safety of students and staff.
- If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID, they will be required to follow current district protocols for isolation and exclusion from school. Current protocols are that any positive individual isolate at home for 5 days, and then, if symptom-free, they may return to school but are required to wear a mask for days 6-10. After day 10, if symptom-free, these individuals may return to a mask recommended option.
- If a student or staff member is exhibiting symptoms of COVID, they may be sent home and required to remain at home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
- If a student or staff member has multiple COVID symptoms, they may be excluded from school for up to 10 days unless an alternative diagnosis can be provided or a negative PCR test can be produced. If either of these criteria are met, this individual may return to school after being symptom-free for 24 hours. Free PCR testing is available at the Turner Building each Monday - Friday.
Reporting and disease outbreak control measures will be implemented in accordance with state and local law, DHSS rules governing the control of communicable diseases and other diseases dangerous to public health, and any applicable rules distributed by the appropriate county or city health department.
KECC may implement isolation and exclusion protocols that are different than our K-12 buildings.
How it Will Work:
COVID-19 data will continue to be monitored for each school. Masks will remain recommended in PK-12 schools as long as a building’s weekly percentage of individuals who test positive does not exceed 1.5% of a school’s total school population (students and staff).
If the percentage of active positive cases (7-Day Cumulative by Building) is greater than 1.5% of a school’s total population (students and staff), masks will be required at school for at least two weeks. In addition, to resume mask-recommended status, a school’s weekly percentage of active positive cases (7-Day Cumulative by Building) must be less than 1.5% after the two-week period. If after the two-week period the school’s weekly percentage of active positive cases is still above 1.5% then masking will continue until the percentage drops below 1.5%.
Students must continue to wear face coverings on school transportation, as required by federal mandate. In addition, masks may be required in certain situations.
Monitoring
The District will track the rates of positive cases on a daily basis and make masking decisions based on each individual school’s data. This data will be displayed on the KSD website’s Covid Dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some common FAQs. Additional FAQs for families are included in on our Family FAQs website.
Why are we saying “Masks Recommended,” rather than “Masks Optional?”
We continue to recommend that students and staff wear a mask. The CDC also recommends mask usage indoors, especially if individuals are not fully vaccinated or have a weakened immune system.
Will non-vaccinated students be required to wear a mask?
No, the same policies apply to all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. Additionally, KSD remains committed to being considerate of students’ and staff members’ privacy related to their individual decisions about getting the vaccine and staff cannot ask students about their vaccination status. District health professionals may ask for information about vaccination status during contact tracing, but parents are not required to disclose this information.
Will visitors and/or parent volunteers be required to wear masks?
The policy that applies to staff and students will also apply to visitors. As such, we will recommend, but not require masks for visitors and volunteers.
Will barriers remain in cafeterias?
Barriers will be removed as we remove the mask requirement. Barriers will continue to be available, and students and staff will have the option to use a barrier at lunch.
I want my child to continue to wear a mask and use a barrier at lunch. Can you ensure they do so?
We encourage you to discuss your expectations with your child so that they have an understanding of the protocols you want them to follow during their school day. Teachers and school staff will not be able to require a student to wear a mask or use a barrier in these circumstances.
If positivity rates remain below 1.5%, is there any situation when masks could be required?
Per federal guidelines, masks remain required on buses. There are also specific circumstances when an accommodation for an immunocompromised student or staff member may mean students are asked to wear a mask. Additionally, in cases when students and staff are outside of school as part of a school-sponsored event (field trips, away games, etc.), they will be expected to follow the protocols the school or business has in place.
My child is anxious about the transition to “mask recommended”. How can I help ease their concerns?
Our teams are working on making sure we are prepared to have supportive conversations about the changes, while ensuring students are respectful of others choices. If you have specific concerns about your student feeling uneasy about the change, feel free to reach out to their school counselor. We also have a list of helpful resources on our website at https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/Page/10303
Are students required to get the vaccine?
The Missouri School Immunization Requirements for students do not include the COVID vaccination. KSD is committed to being considerate of students’ and staff members’ privacy related to their individual decisions about getting the vaccine. District health professionals may ask for information about vaccination status during contact tracing, but parents are not required to disclose this information.
Mitigation strategies that will continue include:
Physical distancing when possible indoors
Frequent hand washing and sanitizing of hands, along with use of sanitizer dispensers in classrooms, hallways, and common areas
Cleaning and sanitizing of all surfaces using recommended disinfectant products
Continued use of MERV-13 filters in all HVAC units and air refresh cycles exceeding minimum standards as recommended by CDC
Use of rapid antigen testing for diagnostic purposes
Availability of PCR testing for all students and staff
Providing special education services as determined by IEP teams
Sending screening information home to parents and following protocols to determine if a symptomatic student should remain at or be sent home
Continuing to seek out opportunities for vaccination clinic events for students and staff
Providing online options through MOCAP to students who opt to remain virtual
More information on vaccines, visitors and virtual options.
More information on planning for positive cases.
Kirkwood School District
Email: news@kirkwoodschools.org
Website: kirkwoodschools.org
Location: 11289 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, MO, USA
Phone: 314-213-6100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirkwoodSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @kwoodschools