Dear RPS Stakeholders,

Throughout the school year, Rockford Public School has been diligent in navigating the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Our decisions have been made to maintain a consistent and safe educational experience for every student. This morning, Rockford Public Schools was notified that the Kent County Health Department will no longer be enforcing or requiring school-based close contact quarantines. This is, in part, due to the data that suggests a low incidence of spread in schools as well as the diligent implementation and effectiveness of other safety measures. A school quarantine occurs when a student is identified as a close contact to a peer that is diagnosed with COVID at school.

The purpose of this communication is to inform you about this change of procedure as well as provide clarity about procedures that are still in place. Managing COVID in our schools has been an ever-evolving situation and we are providing you with the best information we have right now. Should this need to be amended, we will let you know. Below is a description of the procedures we will follow moving forward.

• We will no longer be quarantining students based on a school-based close contact. If a student is quarantined by the Kent County Health Department due to a household or other contact, the district will comply by excluding that student from in-person instruction during a period of Kent County Health Department ordered quarantine. In the interest of transparency, RPS will inform the parents/guardians of students that were identified as close contacts so their health can be monitored.
  
• Any student that is currently quarantined due to a school-based close contact is eligible to return to school on Monday, May 10, 2021 so long as they are symptom-free, have not been recently diagnosed with COVID or otherwise ordered by the Kent County Health Department to quarantine. This includes the ability to return in-person instruction and co-curricular activities.

• Students who are symptomatic at school will still be sent home from school and should not return to school until they have been cleared. The district recommends that parents keep students home from school and follow the advice of medical professionals regarding testing, quarantining and isolating.
  

• Rockford Public Schools will continue to implement the following mitigation measures for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year:

• All students and staff members are required to wear a face covering while at school. Our mask requirement is not changing.
• The district will continue to require social distancing to the extent possible in our schools.
• The district will continue to implement increased cleaning protocols including sanitizing procedures.
• The district will continue to follow all MHSAA and MDHHS testing guidelines for student athletes. This currently includes weekly testing of student athletes above age 13.
• The district will continue to comply with all local and state occupancy orders for our school events.

• Rockford Public Schools will comply with all local and state public health orders. When future public health orders are issued, we will work collaboratively with local and state authorities to ensure that Rockford Public Schools is in full compliance with safety measures covered under these orders.

Thank you for your trust and partnership during this difficult school year. We know that it has been difficult for families to navigate all of the protocols and we appreciate your patience, flexibility and compliance with our procedures. Beginning next week we have four weeks of school left and together we look forward to finishing strong.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Shibler

Superintendent of Schools