Leon County Schools are considering COVID logs for the coming year

According to Dr. Alan Cox, deputy principal of the Leon County School District, does not require vaccinated Leon County students to be immediately quarantined if exposed to COVID-19.

This was one of the recommended minutes presented to the school board during an agenda review meeting on Monday afternoon. The recommendations were compiled after a meeting with school staff and the health department on July 14th and presented to the administration last week.

Cox will re-present the recommendations at the bi-weekly school committee meeting tonight. The final plan is then uploaded to the Safe Start website.

With a mission to “return to normal as much as possible,” Cox said the main change between last year’s protocols and this year’s protocols is that masks are now optional on school premises.

While there will be signs on school premises strongly encouraging masks, teachers cannot prescribe masks in their classrooms and masks are not required for those who are not vaccinated.

Cox released the logs the day before the Centers for Disease Control required universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors in schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, regardless of vaccination status. For his part, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said he would call for a special legislative session if federal or local governments move to requiring masks in schools.

Backstory:

The quarantine protocols have remained largely the same with the exception of the vaccinated students and teachers.

If a vaccinated student or teacher is exposed to COVID-19, they do not need to get tested. If they choose to get tested and test positive, they must be quarantined for a full 10 days.

If an unvaccinated student is exposed to COVID-19, they must be quarantined for 10 days. If the student tests negative after seven days, they can return to school.

Since there is no digital academy this year, make-up work on canvas will be awarded.

“New science is worrying”:CDC recommends wearing masks again indoors. What that means for vaccinated Americans.

Here is an overview of other suggested protocols:

• Masks are optional on buses too, but the district will have seating arrangements in buses and in classrooms. There are 400,000 masks available in the district that can be given out to anyone who asks for them.
• When a student tests positive, parents are notified through the school list and the Department of Health. The discussion on the dashboard will take place at the school committee meeting on Tuesday evening.
• According to Cox, if a parent wants their child to wear a mask, teachers can provide appropriate help, just as a teacher can remind a student to put on their winter coat. “If little Johnny is supposed to wear glasses, they’ll remind him,” said Cox.
• The health department agreed to speak to parents who are struggling to ensure their child remains masked. But this is only for elementary school students. In the middle and upper grades, the district leaves responsibility to the students.
• Middle and high schools will revert to a normal six-grade schedule. It is up to the individual school to decide whether the students stay in the same group, also called cohorts, for the whole day.
• The excursions are resumed. Mentors and other approved visitors are allowed to return to campus. You are strongly encouraged to wear masks.
• The janitorial staff will clean the classrooms and the district will provide buckets of towels to each classroom.

This story evolves. Please check again for updates.

Contact Ana Goñi-Lessan at AGoniLessan@tallahassee.com and follow her on Twitter @goni_lessan.

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The post Leon County Schools are considering COVID logs for the coming year first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

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