USD’s commitment throughout this pandemic continues to utilize multiple layers of protection and mitigation in order to keep schools open for students and staff. As guidance from County and State health officials have adapted to changing conditions, USD has quickly adapted as well. Your flexibility and partnership in these efforts have been instrumental to keep students and staff safe on campus.

As is the case across the County and State, we are seeing a surge in COVID 19 cases. I want to reassure you again that I am confident our schools are safe places to teach and learn. In USD with universal indoor masking, weekly testing, ventilation and a focus on isolating symptomatic individuals–we are working in one of the most controlled environments possible.

This week, the California Department of Health updated the guidance on responding to a positive COVID case on school campuses in K-12 schools and participation in after school activities. While not a significant change from our previous processes in USD as it relates to the focus on testing and notification, we’ve outlined below what families and staff can expect as well as some important reminders for all staff and students.

Just this afternoon, we received information from Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dewan who released a letter to the education community announcing the following:

On January 12, 2022, the California Department of Public Health released revised guidance for TK-12 settings in which they identified alternative approaches to contact tracing and quarantine. In the event of wide-scale and/or repeated exposures, as we have been experiencing during the current Omicron surge, once weekly testing may be implemented in lieu of traditional exposure notification and contact tracing. This approach makes sense during the height of the Omicron pandemic given that frequent exposures are occurring in school and outside of school, in the community, where exposures are not or cannot be communicated.

Therefore, between January 14, 2022 and February 11, 2022, all schools in Santa Clara County can cease sending individual close contact notifications. Instead, it is expected that they will focus on weekly testing of all students and staff. Read the full letter here.

As such, USD will focus on following all safety protocols, including masking and proper ventilation, and weekly COVID testing to further reduce the risk of in-school COVID-19 transmission. COVID notices will be paused from January 18 to February 11, 2022.

As always it is our united commitment to prioritize our students to have a safe learning environment throughout the changing conditions. A heartfelt thank you to the hardworking USD staff for all they continue to do to support our students. You are greatly appreciated for your continued dedication to our students and families. And to all the parents and guardians a huge thank you for being flexible and supportive throughout all of this as we work together.

Monday, January 17th will be a day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'''
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

I am proud to be in a community that continues to demonstrate what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr spoke readily about supporting others especially during times that can be ever changing. May we continue to do so together, in support of each other.

Have a great weekend, and we are looking forward to seeing students again on Tuesday, January 18th.

USD will continue to maintain a District Dashboard of COVID-19 positive cases through the rest of the 2021-22 school year. The dashboard includes a weekly case count of students and staff by school site.

USD has procured enough KN95 masks for all staff and has received a shipment from the County and State for additional N95 masks for use in the coming weeks.

Universal indoor masking remains one of the most important layers of protection in school, so consider upgrading your student’s mask to ensure a good fit. Each school site also has a supply of replacement surgical masks for students should they need one.

The Community testing hubs will be open on Monday, January 17th from 7am to 7pm.

The Grapefruit Community testing hub has been a great resource for our staff, families and community at large. Finding a location to get a COVID test can be challenging right now, but we are able to provide this to our community as a resource. They are located at Dartmouth and Union Middle School. The community testing sites are open daily and into the evening.

Click here for the times and walk-in/appointment options for Dartmouth MS.

Click here for the times and walk-in/appointment options for Union MS.

We understand that, due to demand, the line has been longer than usual, as is the case at many local testing sites. Also, we have learned that Grapefruit has added another lab in efforts to provide results within 24-72 hours.