Wednesday | August 3, 2022

Dear Fayette County Public Schools Families:


Students and staff are already back on campus at four of our schools, and we are excited to welcome everyone else for the first day of instruction one week from today, on Wednesday, August 10.


While families are collecting school supplies and selecting first-day outfits, I wanted to provide an update on the precautionary measures that will be in place this year related to COVID-19. With the expanded availability of vaccines to everyone six months of age and older, and the development of anti-viral medications to treat COVID-19, we have entered a new phase in the pandemic.


FCPS continues to partner with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to regularly review the current status of the virus in our community and discuss the district's health and safety procedures. At this time, the number of new cases and new hospitalizations have placed Fayette County back into the red according to the community levels published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Medical experts advise that while our community is in the red you should protect yourself and others by wearing a mask while indoors or in crowds, monitoring yourself for symptoms, staying home when you're sick, and getting tested for COVID-19. Our district strongly recommends everyone follow these precautions.


This email outlines our procedures and expectations for the 2022-23 school year and will remain in place unless we announce otherwise.


Since COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future, we have to integrate it into how we operate, rather than allowing it to be our primary focus. This year we are moving away from daily data reports, weekly email updates, and a revolving door of re-evaluating procedures and issuing new guidance.


Our top priority remains the health and well-being of our students, employees, and families, even as we shift the emphasis away from mandates toward individual choice and accountability. Staying home when you are sick is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During this time of rising cases, even if you think "it's just allergies," please take an at-home test before heading out the door that morning.


You know your children and individual family circumstances best, and we encourage you to make healthy, well-informed decisions.


Please be well and take care of each other, DL

Fayette County Public Schools has a mask optional policy in all district facilities and on school buses. Masks are still required in the health room. We encourage every family to weigh their personal circumstances before making a decision that meets their needs.


When our community is in red, medical experts advise the proper usage of face masks while indoors and/or in crowds. Properly worn masks should cover the nose and mouth of the wearer.

In FCPS, we strongly recommend everyone wear a face mask while indoors whenever community levels are in the red. 

 

We want all of our families to know that we support your decision to make the choices that are best for you and your loved ones. Either way is OK!

To help reduce the risk of spread, employees, students, and families are encouraged to test for COVID-19 at home. FCPS has been provided with a number of take-home tests for staff and students. Distribution will be limited, and will be available through the school nurse.


If a student exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, school nurses and other staff are trained to administer a rapid COVID-19 test. A parent or guardian must be present when the test is administered. Since the student is being tested because they have symptoms, they will be sent home until their symptoms resolve, or they have an alternate diagnosis.

Positive cases of COVID-19 should be reported to the child's school.


In accordance with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention individuals who test positive should:

  • Stay home for at least 5 days and isolate away from others in your home.
  • End isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are improving. Seek medical attention if symptoms continue or are worsening.
  • Wear a well-fitting mask for 5 days after isolation ends any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask.

 Medical experts advise that vaccines are the best defense against serious illness or hospitalization from COVID-19.

 

Vaccines for children aged 6 months through 17 years are available for free:

  • Through University of Kentucky HealthCare between 1:30 and 5 p.m. daily Monday -- Friday. UK is offering both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for children at the UK PharmacistCare Clinic, located at 245 Fountain Court, off Man O'War Boulevard. Families may register up to five children for one appointment; a parent or legal guardian must accompany anyone under age 18. For more information call the UK PharmacistCare vaccination clinic at 859-562-2018. Click this link to register.
  • Through the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The Health Department is offering the Moderna vaccine by same-day appointment in its Public Health Clinic at 650 Newtown Pike. Call 859-288-2483 to schedule your same-day appointment.

 

You can also make an appointment through your child’s pediatrician or your primary care physician.


Vaccines for individuals 18 years of age or older are also available through UK and the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. Registration can be done online for UK or by calling 859-288-2483 for the Health Department.


You can find statewide vaccine information by visiting vaccine.gov or calling the vaccine hotline at 855-598-2246.

The health and well-being of FCPS students, employees, and families have been and will continue to be the top priorities in every decision made. Mitigation measures including cleaning and an emphasis on hand-washing will continue. We continue to ask anyone who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home until they resolve without the use of symptom-reducing medication.


The Fayette County Board of Education has invested millions of dollars in mitigation and prevention measures, including:

  • Installing UVC lights and air purifiers in our 27 oldest facilities.
  • Extending the hours of HVAC in all schools to assist with indoor air quality.
  • Providing air purifiers for classrooms without windows.
  • Purchasing PPE and additional cleaning supplies and equipment.
  • Increasing the number of full-time nurses in schools.
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