COVID Exposure Policy

McKenzie Families,

We hope your family is staying healthy. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our community, we wanted to let you know what we do to inform families if someone in a classroom/cohort tests positive for COVID-19.

When we are informed that a student is COVID-19 positive, the district will send an email through our app out to the parents of students in the positive cases cohort. An SMS/text will also be sent to the parent alerting them to check their email.

We then investigate to see who close contacts might be. If a student has had direct exposure, parents will be contacted by school staff directly.

Lane County Public Health considers close contact to be an interaction between unmasked people within 3 feet for 15+ minutes. You will be advised on quarantine time for your child and when they can return to school.

Here's how you can help:

If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, do not send them to school. Seek a COVID-19 test. Click Here a link to COVID symptoms according to the CDC.
Families with school-age children and educators should limit gatherings and non-essential activities with people from other households to the extent possible through February. Before getting together with family, friends and loved ones, ask if attendees have received their COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and consider postponing visits if many attendees are not up to date with recommended doses. If you are visiting people from another household, you should wear a mask, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet, and keep activities outdoors as much as possible.

We will keep you updated with any new information as it comes out while meeting the requirements to honor everyone's right to privacy.

We know there have been many changes and we thank you for doing your part as an Eagle!

Lane Tompkins

McKenzie Superintendent

Thank you to our wonderful board members

Additional Health Protocols

Face Coverings: We will continue to follow Oregon Health Authority’s statewide rule (OAR 333-019-1015) requiring face coverings in all indoor school settings, both public and private, for all individuals 5 years and older, including all students, staff, contractors, volunteers and visitors. Face coverings will also be mandatory on district buses due to CDC requirements for public transportation.

Physical Distancing: Reflecting the guidance, we will continue to support and promote the physical distancing of students and staff. We will continue to distance in classrooms, the playground and during transitions when students are standing in line. Floor markings will remain a fixture of McKenzie’s spaces.

Cohorts: Students will continue to be tracked and placed into stable cohorts to the greatest extent possible, especially in our younger grades who cannot benefit from vaccinations. Cohorting helps reduce the number of people exposed and helps identify those who may have been exposed in case of an identified COVID-19 case in the school.

Entry Screening, Isolation and Testing: Students will continue to be screened for illness when arriving at school each day. Preventing ill students from coming to school helps prevent the spread of many illnesses beyond COVID. Students who show sickness symptoms during screening or during the day will be referred to our isolation room in the elementary office. Parents will be notified to pick up their student. We will continue to provide COVID-19 rapid tests this year to ill students with parental consent. The District is required to exclude students who demonstrate primary symptoms of COVID-19 as we were last year.

Hand Hygiene: Regular hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer will continue to be emphasized throughout the school year. Practicing safe hygiene helps prevent the spread of COVID and other illnesses we regularly encounter at school.

Increased Sanitation: McKenzie’s custodial staff will continue focusing on increased sanitation efforts throughout the buildings, playgrounds and other common areas.

Air Purifiers: Thanks to a generous donation by BlueAir last year, McKenzie’s classrooms will continue to have HEPA filters in place during the year. This filtration can help ensure cleaner air for students and staff.

Increased Airflow: Buildings will continue to be opened up as much as possible, including doors and windows to get more fresh outdoor air circulated into classrooms.

Training: Regular training for staff regarding health and safety protocols will occur at the beginning of the year and regularly during the remainder of the school year.

Visitor Policy: Visitors must wear face coverings and check in at the office for health screening. Visitors will not be allowed in the building past the office.

Quarantining and contact tracing: If we have a confirmed case of COVID at school, we will work directly with our district and LCPH to communicate with families. If students must quarantine, they will have access to class materials and assignments.