Health and Prevention Guidance For the 2021- 2022 School Year

Face masks are permitted but not required in all Olentangy Schools, Preschool through grade 12, effective Monday, February 14.

Individuals will be physically distanced by three feet when possible.

Desk and table sneeze guards will be available for students and staff upon request, including use in the school cafeterias. Parents should contact their child’s classroom teacher(s). Staff may request PPE from the building Head Custodian.

Increased hand washing will continue to be emphasized throughout the school day. Hand sanitizer will continue to be placed in classrooms and throughout the buildings. Students will be encouraged to sanitize their hands throughout the day. 

 Routine cleaning protocols will continue throughout all school buildings and buses.  

Olentangy Schools continues to encourage our community to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Ohio Department of Health provides information on the benefits of the vaccine in a school environment.

Visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov to find available vaccination locations in our area. The COVID-19 vaccine is not required for staff and students.  

Similar to other vaccination clinics provided by the Delaware Public Health District, an Olentangy Schools facility may serve as a vaccination site.

Effective February 25, 2022, the CDC does not require the wearing of face masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems. Therefore, face masks are permitted but not required on Olentangy Schools transportation.

Hand sanitizer will be available on all school buses. 

Students will have an assigned seat and will be seated up to the bus capacity. 

Each bus will continue to be cleaned and disinfected daily. 

Essential visitors and volunteers will be permitted into school buildings, determined by the building principal.  Essential visitors are visitors necessary to conduct the business of the school. Essential visitors include parents/guardians participating in curriculum night, parent/teacher conferences, and other events to learn about educational learning and activities that are happening in their child’s classroom.  

Pre-pandemic school visitor access will be restored effective March 14, which will include classroom parties, book fairs, lunchroom visits.

The building HVAC systems will continue to be programmed to bring in more outside air throughout the day. Final air filtering for district school buildings is through a MERV 13 filter, which is rated for bacteria and virus carriers.  

Water bottle filling stations are open for use.  Drinking fountains will return to full operation as soon as they are able to be turned on.

Table dividers will be available for students upon request.

Students will be encouraged to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer before lunch periods. 

Everyone is encouraged to do a self-assessment before entering an Olentangy facility. 

Families are asked to do a daily self-assessment at home and not send students to school if they exhibit any symptoms of illness not explained by a diagnosed, non-communicable condition.

Since COVID-19 spreads so rapidly, it is encouraged that students (and their caregivers), staff and volunteers conduct daily health assessments prior to reporting to a district facility which should include taking a temperature and assessing symptoms. 

• It is recommended that staff and students stay home if they exhibit one or more of the following symptoms if not explained by a diagnosed, non-communicable condition: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or loss of taste or smell, fever (over 100.4 degrees), chills, rigors, myalgia, headache, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion or runny nose. 

Anyone exhibiting symptoms of illness should not enter an Olentangy facility. 

If you suspect your child has COVID-19 or COVID-19 like symptoms, please contact your primary care provider for guidance.

If you would like a rapid COVID-19 test, parents may request one from the school clinic.

Anyone who is exhibiting symptoms of illness should complete a self assessment discussed in the self-assessment tab above.

Consult your pediatrician if you suspect your child has COVID-19 or COVID-19 like symptoms or if you have questions/need guidance about COVID-19 testing.

Consult your pediatrician or health care provider if you suspect your child may have a communicable illness (ex. strep throat, rash).

If your child tests positive for COVID-19 or any other communicable disease, please report this to your child’s school.

Your child may return to school after being free of symptoms and/or fever (over 100.4) for 24 hours without the aid of over the counter medication.  Please refer to health protocols in the Olentangy Schools student handbook .   

Following recent recommendations by the Ohio Department of Health, the Delaware Public Health District will no longer be conducting individual case investigation and contract tracing for positive COVID-19 cases. Instead, the Health District will focus on COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings, outbreaks associated with new variants, and severe COVID-19 cases. Olentangy Schools will report cases of COVID-19 to the DPHD, and assist with outbreak investigations. 

Staff members and students should continue to report positive COVID-19 test results to school clinics. Our schools are required to report known cases to the DPHD for anyone physically in our buildings.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and Delaware Public Health Department (DPHD) have instructed schools that they may discontinue universal contact tracing. Olentangy’s COVID-19 dashboard will continue to be updated daily with building case counts and updated every Friday with a district-wide snapshot.  

DPHD recommends the following actions based on specific scenarios in alignment with the shortened recommended isolation and quarantine periods for those infected with, or exposed to, COVID-19.

INDIVIDUAL TESTS POSITIVE, AND IS ASYMPTOMATIC

• If an individual tests positive and is asymptomatic they should isolate at home for five days, with the test date considered day zero. They may return to school wearing a face mask for five days after the isolation period. 

INDIVIDUAL TESTS POSITIVE, AND HAS SYMPTOMS

• If an individual tests positive, and has COVID-19 symptoms they should isolate at home for five days, with the symptom onset date or test date (whichever comes first) considered day zero. They may return to school on day six wearing a face mask for days six through ten as long as a fever has been resolved for 24 hours and symptoms are improving. If symptoms extend isolation, a face mask must be worn for five days after isolation ends. 

INDIVIDUAL IS A CASE CONTACT

• If an individual is a case contact, contacts must either quarantine at home for five days from exposure and return to school on day six, wearing a face mask for days six through ten, OR they may return to school while wearing a face mask for ten days from exposure.