Holton school board approves operational guidelines for 2021-22

The Holton school board here Monday evening approved a list of operational guidelines for the new school term that states that face masks are not required to be worn in school buildings but are recommended in school buildings for anyone not vaccinated against COVID-19.

All those traveling by district school bus or other district-owned vehicle, however, will be required to wear face masks when two or more people are traveling together, as directed by Kansas Department of Education general counselor R. Scott Gordon, it was reported.

Other operational guidelines approved by the Holton school board Monday evening at the meeting held at the HHS library included the following:

*Staff and students who test positive for COVID-19 must be isolated at home for 10-14 days, regardless of vaccination status.

*Close contact is defined as being within six feet for 10 consecutive minutes or more of a person who tests positive for COVID-19. If previously COVID-19 positive themselves and showing proof of positive test within the past six months, then the staff/student may stay in school and participate in activities.

If vaccinated, quarantine is not required and staff/students may stay in school and monitor for symptoms.

If not vaccinated, the staff/student must isolate at home for 10 days and get a COVID-19 test on day six. If the test is negative, they can return to school on day eight if no symptoms are present.

*The district will partner with the Jackson County Health Department to complete contact tracing within the schools.

*The district is not requiring staff/students to get COVID-19 vaccinations before attending school.

*The district is currently working to secure grant funds through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to have the ability to perform COVID-19 tests at the school to reduce student absences for such tests. Tests at the school would require parental consent.

*Staff/students will sanitize their hands upon entering school buildings each day. Temperature screenings at school building entryways will not be performed. Staff/students will be required to wash their hands frequently throughout the school day.

*Staff/students will continue to disinfect frequently touched surfaces throughout the day and between classes.

*The district will ask students to maintain three feet of social distancing whenever possible throughout the school day.

For more on this story, please log in to your holtonrecorder.net account and select the Aug. 11, 2021 edition under “E-Editions.”