District updates its Covid policy

As the Centers for Disease Control guidance goes, so goes the protocol for school attendance, at least in the Cedar Grove-Belgium district.

Supt. Chad Brakke last week announced the district would be updating its Covid-19 guidelines after the CDC changed its guidance during Christmas break.
 

Brakke said there was some confusion over which entities would be endorsing the new recommendations in Sheboygan County, but after meeting with officials from Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties on Jan. 19, he learned they are following the new plan.

“Both are endorsing the new shortened and isolation timelines, so we’re going to do the same,” he told the School Board.

“It sounds like most of the schools are doing it.”

The new guidelines for people testing positive for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status, are:
• Contact the child’s school office personnel or nurse Kristina Gabrielse at 920-668-8518, ext. 233.
• Stay home for five days after symptoms start or from test date if asymptomatic.
• Day one of the process starts the day after the start of symptoms or positive test date.
• After five days without symptoms or improving symptoms, students may return to school and wear a mask for an additional five days.
• Those with a fever should stay home until it goes away without medication.

Exposure protocol — if someone in a person’s household has tested positive — has changed as well.

Unvaccinated people or those with incomplete or out-of-date vaccinations are to stay home for five days, then return to school and wear a mask for five days.

They should be tested on day five if possible. A positive test calls for people to follow the updated guidelines. If the test is negative, people are to continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Fully vaccinated people are to wear a mask for 10 days after the last contact with someone testing positive, take a test on day five, if possible, and follow guidelines according to the result.

There is another option.

“Anyone can choose to just do the original 10 days if that’s what they want to do and not wear the mask,” Brakke said.

The district has maintained in-person school with masks optional.

“The numbers are up with the Covid as everyone knows everywhere,” Brakke said.

“We’re just going to keep plugging away. We’re still hanging in there. Administrators are keeping the ship afloat. Right now we’re doing OK.”