August 20, 2021
Families of IPS and IMS,
By now you should have received the email communication from Mr. Hegedish about safety protocol for the start of the school year. If not it is outlined below:
- We expect parents to be our partners in making sure students are healthy and ready for school each day before allowing them to board a bus or dropping them off at school.
- In accordance with the Ohio Department of Health, Center for Disease Control, and American Academy of Pediatrics, we strongly recommend masks for individuals when indoors.
- The Superintendent or his designee may, for a period of time not to exceed 4 weeks, place a universal mask mandate for a classroom, grade, building, or the district based on an analysis of Ohio, County, Zip Code (44131), City, and most importantly, staff and student infection numbers and school-based transmission. This short-term masking will be utilized as a preventative measure to avoid having to move to remote learning.
- Any universal masking mandate beyond this time period will require Board approval.
- The Independence Board of Education adopts the Ohio Department of Health Guidelines for Quarantine After Exposure in K-12 Classroom Settings and directs the administration to implement the recommended protocols.
This year, more than ever, it is important that students who are sick, have a fever, or do not feel well do NOT come to school. Those students who become ill or show signs of illness during the in-person school day will be sent to the clinic and parents will be asked to pick their child up from school in a timely fashion.
Per the state of Ohio, masks must be worn on school buses, and per Akron Children’s hospital, which is our nursing provider - masks must be worn when visiting the school clinic. We will have an ample supply of disposable masks should a student forget to bring one to school.
Please Review:
Please review the Ohio Department of Health Guidelines for Quarantine After Exposure in K-12 Classroom Settings: Exposure In K-12 Setting. These have been adopted by the Independence Local Schools and will be implemented.
- Because students at IPS and half of IMS are not able to be vaccinated at this time, if your student is determined by school administrators to have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive with Covid-19 and your student has not consistently masked, they will have to quarantine for 10 days (reduced to 7 days with a negative Covid-19 test performed 5 days after exposure).
- If a student is determined to have been in close contact and consistently wearing a mask, he or she can stay in school, while monitoring for symptoms.
- If exposed, those wearing masks can stay in school; those unmasked must quarantine at home.
- It is highly recommended that masks be worn at IPS and IMS- we want our students to be in school.
- In an effort to help with possible exposure and contact tracing, we are allowing the opportunity for families to fill out the below Google document. This is completely optional and only to be used if you intend for your child to be consistently masked.
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Please fill out this form: (Masking Form)
- Please understand that staff will not be held responsible for the monitoring of student masking.
Thank you for all of your patience with this process!
Sincerely,
TJ Ebert and Jamie Vanek
