COVID-19: Information and Resources

Over the past 18 months, much has been learned about COVID-19.  Public health goals have shifted to preventing the spread of new variants by promoting vaccination and limiting transmission.  Both the federal and state government expect full time return to school for the coming year.

• Fairfield Public Schools will begin the school year for students on Monday, August 30, 2021 with a full schedule, five days/week.  We expect the school year to begin on time with our regular schedules – every student on every day.
• School hours are posted here and on the FPS Calendar page.
• Orientations for incoming 6th grade, 9th grade, and elementary students will be held in-person on Friday, August 27, 2021.

In order to start the school year safely, we will continue using a suite of layered mitigation strategies, including masking, social distancing, hand washing/sanitizing, ventilation, and cleaning.  It is the combination of these strategies that will allow us to keep students in school full-time and limit transmission. Implementation of these strategies are detailed below.

Currently, Executive Order 13A is in place through September 30, 2021.  This Order covers  DPH Universal Masking Order for all individuals in all PK-12 school buildings and on school buses, regardless of vaccination status.  This guidance is legally binding.  Should the guidance change prior to September 30, 2021, we will follow DPH/CSDE recommendations.

• Masks are required for all individuals in the school building. Masks will not be required outside the school building.
• Mask break opportunities for PK-8 students will be part of the school schedule.
• Anyone using district transportation is required to wear a mask.

• Students are required to maintain a minimum of 3 feet distance from each other while inside the classroom. They are encouraged to maintain distance while outside the classroom.
• The student distance at lunch will remain at 3 feet minimum. Students can opt to use the barriers; they are not required.
• Staff must maintain 6 feet from students inside and outside of the school. If teachers need to be closer to students, we will follow the guidelines used last year: working with students at shorter distances staff must remain at less than 15 cumulative minutes.
• Guidance for music classes remains the same this year as last. DPH may issue some minor changes in the next week or so and if they do, we will share that with you.

• In elementary schools cohorting at lunch will continue. In grades 6-12, it will remain important to account for where students sit and with whom. Cohorting at recess is no longer required for students who keep 3 feet apart from each other

• The concerns for surface transmission have been reduced. The sharing of instructional materials is permitted. There does not need to be a time lag between materials returning from school and those materials being handled by others.
• Schools may return to their normal cleaning practices and schedules.
• Students and staff should still wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after snack, before and after lunch, and at other times as needed.
• We are not able to use fans. Doors and windows will be opened to increase ventilation.
   

The Board of Education has committed to the re-commissioning of all HVAC systems.  This is a long-term and costly process, which is currently underway.  We have upgraded all building filters to MERV-13 where applicable, and air dampers are open 100%.  The most effective ventilation strategy to bring in outside air continues to be keeping classroom windows and doors open.

• In response to questions about using ESSER funds for HVAC, installing air conditioning in a single elementary school building costs upwards of $4 million.  FPS will receive a total grant allocation of $2,881,317 for ESSER 3.  A minimum of 20% of ARP ESSER must be allocated to address incomplete learning ($576,263), leaving $2,305,054 for other expenses.  The Board of Education is committed to providing air conditioning to all facilities and will explore other means of financing this goal.

2020-2021 Ventilation Reports:

• FLHS Ventilation Update 3/3/21
• Final High School Ventilation and Filtration Study 8/31/20
• Final Middle School and Sherman Ventilation Study 8/31/20
• Final Elementary Ventilation and Filtration Study 8/28/20
• DPH Ventilation Guidelines
• FPS Ventilation Update 8/28/20

• We will hold faculty meetings in person and maintain a 6-foot distance among staff.
• Board of Education meetings will continue to be held in person.
• Further information on PPTs will be sent out by the special education department
• For now, we will limit visitation to the school to essential functions only. Open houses will be virtual. We will make decisions on fall parent conferences later in September.
• We will delay school volunteer opportunities for at least one month.
• Large school gatherings are currently not possible. We will continually review this restriction with the health department and adjust as needed.

We will begin the year with the following supports for students who either must quarantine or are positive but asymptomatic.  We are working on other solutions and will provide updates when those are available.

• K-5 teachers would send work packets home for students on quarantine.  Teachers would be available by email for student or parent questions.
• 6-12 teachers would post work in Google Classroom.  Teachers would be available by email for student or parent questions
• In the first days of school, staff are working to build community and learn about their students.  The amount of traditional work will therefore be lighter at this time of year.
• Staff will have a 24 hour turnaround time to share materials.

We are working on a different solution for students who require long-term absences due to a verifiable individual or family need.  We will contact those families directly.  

• Guidance Regarding the Future of Remote Learning in Connecticut. 

For the most current information, go to: https://fairfieldct.org/covid19.

In the event of a positive case, contact tracing will occur as it has previously with school nurses and administrators working with the Fairfield Health Department contact tracing team.

• Students in a classroom setting ONLY, who are both wearing a well-fitting mask consistently and correctly and are seated more than 3 feet distanced will not be considered a close contact
• Students, in the classroom setting, who are within 3 feet for 15 minutes or more (cumulatively) or not properly wearing a mask, will be considered a close contact.
• In all other settings, outside the classroom, a close contact is still defined as within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more (cumulatively) regardless of mask usage and regardless if the exposure occurred indoors or outdoors.
• Fully vaccinated students and staff who have had close contact with a known COVID-19 case but have no symptoms: Do not have to quarantine away from school or extracurricular activities (e.g. sports); Testing 3-5 days after exposure is recommended. No quarantine is required with a test pending; Should wear a mask when in public or otherwise engaged in activities with individuals outside of their household until they receive a negative test (or for 14 days with no test). Mask usage in school is always required regardless of a negative test.
• Students and staff who are either unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated, or for whom vaccination status is unknown should follow current guidance for quarantine and testing prior to returning to school or other activities after close contact with a known case.
• The quarantine period has been shortened to 7 days, from last known exposure, with a test required at day 5, 6, or 7. If the test is negative, the individual can resume activities on the 8th day with proof of a negative test. A PCR test is always recommended, but a rapid antigen test is allowed. There is also the option to quarantine for 10 days, with no test required.
• Per CDC guidance, we exempt from quarantine those who have recovered from being a confirmed case of COVID-19 for a 90 day period. 

Affected individuals will be contacted by their school nurse, administrator,  or a member of the Fairfield Health Department contact tracing team. We will continue to communicate positive cases via Infinite Campus messages and the FPS website dashboard.

• There are currently no requirements for testing after domestic travel from either the CDC or state DPH.
• CDC recommends testing for the unvaccinated after domestic travel. It is not a requirement.
• For Foreign travel, everyone - vaccinated or not - must test negative before entering the country. The CDC recommends testing for both groups 3-5 days after travel but again, only a recommendation.
• CDC travel recommendations

• Full information on athletics is available here: http://ciacsports.com/site/ and
  August 12, 2021 CIAC Fall 2021 Sports Guidance
• Other student activities are possible if the above mitigation measures are
• followed. Activity advisors must consult with their school administration before meeting with students.

• The State is offering a weekly pooled COVID-19 screening testing program in grades K-6 for unvaccinated students and staff, which we are exploring.  
• Testing is completely voluntary and requires parental consent.  
• Testing partners will test on-site using a lower nasal swab. If a positive case is identified within the pool, no additional swabs are required.  Results will be available to school administrators, parents of tested students, and the Department of Public Health within 24-48 hours.  
• FPS is still researching this option.  Further information will be provided as we learn more.

• COVID-19 vaccines are not mandated for students.
• Proof of vaccination for students is not required. However, we strongly encourage those who have been fully vaccinated to provide documentation to their school nurse, as it will save time during contact tracing. You may email a pdf or photo to your school nurse (email addresses are on your school website), or send in a copy with your child. 
• The Governor recently announced a vaccine mandate for school employees.  We are awaiting further guidance on this and will keep everyone informed as we learn more.

• During the 2020-2021 school year, CSDE provided guidance regarding the use of various instruction models (in-person, hybrid, and remote).
• For the 2021-2022 school year, districts are expected to provide full-time, in-person instruction and are prohibited by legislation from providing remote instruction.  
• We will continue to follow the guidance and direction of the state and town health departments in response to changes in the number of cases.