Health and safety is our top priority and we have strong procedures in our schools that align with public health guidance. Examples include maintaining physical distance (6-ft). wherever possible, wearing face coverings, hand washing protcols and enhanced cleaning procedures.  

See Board Policy 566 for more details. 

Students should stay home if they feel ill. All students must complete the Daily Home Symptom Screener before coming to school each day.

Report any positive COVID-19 tests in your household and/or required student quarantines/exposure as of January 4 and continuing through the end of the school year. Doing this will allow us to ensure that we are following the proper timelines for cases and exposures as more students begin in-person learning.  Please contact the OSD Attendance Line at 608-835-4000, Option #1 to report cases. You will be contacted by a school nurse with any questions.

Per PHMDC Order #8 all students and staff must wear cloth masks that cover both the mouth and nose at all times while in the building. Students and staff must have their masks on when they arrive at school. If you do not have access to a mask one will be provided at schools and on buses. 

Please ensure that your student has a mask that is two layers or more. Bandanas and fleece are not acceptable face coverings. Each school has masks available for students who need them. Visit the CDC Guide to Masks for more details on masks.

No. Students will not eat lunch or snacks during school.

When a case of COVID-19 is reported, we begin by having a conversation with the person who tested positive (or a parent/guardian if it is a student).  During that conversation we talk about when their symptoms started or when they tested positive if they aren’t showing symptoms. 

Next, we talk about who they may have had close contact with at school (we are required to notify any close contacts with the person who tested positive that occurred at school or on the school bus).   

Once we have identified close contacts from school, we call those people and let them know they may have been exposed to COVID-19. This does not mean that the close contact has COVID-19 or will get it; however, PHMDC advises that close contacts must self-quarantine for at least 14-days after the last contact with the person and continue to monitor themselves for symptoms. 

See Board Policy 565 for additional details.

A close contact is defined by the CDC and PHMDC as:

• Being within 6 feet of an infected person for a prolonged period (15 minutes or more) starting from 48 hours before illness onset (or if no symptoms, 48 hours before the date of the test).   
• Direct physical contact with a positive COVID-19 case (for example, a hug, kiss, or handshake);
• Contact with a positive COVID-19 case respiratory secretions (for example, coughed or sneezed on; contact with a dirty tissue; shared a drinking glass, food, towels, or other personal items; or
• Live with a positive COVID-19 case or stayed overnight for at least one night in a household with them.

When a case of COVID-19 occurs, we are required to notify any close contacts with the person who tested positive that occurred at school or on the school bus.

To be as transparent as possible while also providing relevant information to those who need it:

1. Close Contact Notification - If your child is identified to have been in close contact with an individual (student or staff member) who has tested positive for COVID-19, parents will be notified by the school nurse. If you do not receive this Close Contact Notification, your child has not been in close contact with the individual who has tested positive.
2. Classroom Notification - a classroom notification will be sent if there is a positive case in your student’s classroom and the individual was present in the classroom within the period as defined by the CDC and PHMDC (48 hours before illness onset - or if no symptoms, 48 hours before the date of the test). If the individual testing positive was not present during this time, a notification will not be sent to the classroom.   
3. School / Bus Notification - we will send a general notification when there is a positive COVID-19 case in your student’s school building or on their school bus. General school notification letters are posted on the Messages for Families portion of our website.
4. District Dashboard - we will publish an overall District data dashboard.The dashboard shows current active cases and is updated each Friday.