Schools and Childcare Programs​

Montgomery County K-12 Schools COVID-19 Back to School Guidance - Fall 2022

Guidance is based on the Centers for Disease Control’s COVID-19 Community Levels. Community Levels for schools and early childhood care programs are the same as those for the community. COVID-19 Community levels can help schools, students, and staff decide which preventive actions to take, based on current spread within the community.

These levels are based on local COVID-19 hospitalization rates, healthcare burden, and COVID-19 cases. Using this information, county COVID-19 levels are classified as low, medium, or high.

Everyday Measures

• COVID-19 Vaccinations. Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is the best way to keep students and staff healthy and in school.

• Staying home when sick. Students and staff should stay home when symptoms of cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea occur. If testing is positive for COVID-19, CDC isolation guidelines should be followed.
• Ventilation. School ventilation should support indoor air quality to decrease the risk of airborne spread of viruses and other contaminants. These can include ventilation measures such as repairs, upgrades, and replacements to HVAC systems, use of MERV-13 air filters, portable air cleaners and upper-room germicidal UV irradiation systems.
• Hand washing and cough hygiene. Schools and early childhood education programs should teach and encourage proper and regular handwashing with soap and water, or hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol if soap and water is not practical. Sneezes and coughs should be covered.
• Cleaning. Surfaces should be cleaned at least once a day to reduce the risk of germs spreading by touching contaminated surfaces.

Vaccinations
Public Health recommends everyone who is medically able to do so, ages 6 months and above, should stay up-to-date with available COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes all students, faculty, and staff.

Use of Face Masks
Schools should consider the current community level and their individual circumstances when deciding general face mask policies. However, regardless of a given school’s policy, it is recommended individuals follow the CDC recommendations for low, medium, or high transmission levels. And schools should allow anyone to wear a face mask who feels it is necessary to protect themselves or others.

Stay Home if You Are Sick
Anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should stay home if they are sick and speak to their healthcare provider about the appropriateness of getting tested for COVID-19.

Development of Symptoms While at School
Students and staff who develop symptoms while at school or an early childhood education program should be asked to wear a well-fitting mask while in the building and be sent home and encouraged to get tested. Children should be supervised by a designated adult wearing a well-fitting mask until they are picked up.

Use of Masks in Healthcare Settings
The CDC recommends the use of face masks in school nurse’s offices, when multiple people are present, regardless of the Community Level.

Case Investigation
Schools are not required to provide case investigations to determine close contacts, however, they may do so at their discretion and contact Public Health at their discretion should an outbreak occur.

Isolation
Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for 5 days. Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset. On day 6, if symptoms are improving and they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications, they may leave their home but should continue to wear a face mask when around others through day 10. After you end isolation, if your symptoms worsen, you should restart your isolation period at day zero.

Exposure
If an individual is exposed to COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, they do not need to quarantine, but should monitor for symptoms, wear a face mask when around others for 10 days, and get tested on day 5 (day 0 is the day of last exposure to someone with COVID-19). If this test is positive, they should isolate immediately and follow isolation guidelines. In addition, if symptoms develop at any time, they should isolate immediately, get tested and if positive, follow isolation guidelines.

Case Reporting
Schools are not required to report individual cases to Public Health unless the school administers the test themselves. If a student takes an at-home test, the school should not report that to Public Health. Schools that administer a test with a positive result should fax this form to 937-224-8853.

If an individual takes an at-home test, and tests positive, they should report that to their healthcare provider, and if confirmed, the healthcare provider would report the case to Public Health. In this instance individuals should also discuss with their healthcare provider whether specific treatment is medically appropriate.

Busses
When the Community Transmission Level is high, the use of face masks is recommended when individuals are sitting near one another. To the extent possible, windows may be opened to increase ventilation.

Full CDC Guidance may be found here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-childcare-guidance.html