Originally Posted: January 20, 2022
All 2021-2022 school COVID-19 updates can be found on the district’s 2021-2022 Reopening & COVID-19 Updates page here.
Dear Schodack Families,
New York State COVID-19 guidance for schools continues to change and late last week, the New York State Department of Health provided districts with new guidance documents that included updates on contact tracing, charts for quarantine & isolation and more.
The protocols for schools evolve often and quickly, I know it can be difficult for families to keep up with them. Know that we are doing all we can to interpret the latest guidance and communicate what it means specifically for Schodack as efficiently as possible. Please take a few minutes to read through some of the key changes effective today and what they mean for our schools.
Contact Tracing at School
The New York State Department of Health has ended its contact tracing program. They have now given local health departments the option of how they would like to handle contact tracing going forward. Additionally, school districts are no longer required to conduct contact tracing when students/staff test positive or are exposed to COVID-19. You can see more about this in the NYSED memo here.
We have made the decision to continue contact tracing in Schodack, you will still be notified if your student is identified as a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case at school. However, you will no longer receive a call from the local health department if your student was exposed to COVID-19 in any setting.
Quarantine and Isolation
You will no longer receive quarantine and isolation affirmation or release forms from the Rensselaer County Department of Health for your students to return to school.
If you need a note for your employer for proof of quarantine or isolation of you or your student, please use the appropriate form below.
NYS Affirmation of Quarantine (For those exposed to COVID-19)
NYS Affirmation of Isolation (For those who have tested positive for COVID-19)
If your student tests positive or needs to quarantine they will receive remote instruction from their teacher. Your student would only be eligible for remote learning if they need to isolate or quarantine at home.
If your student tests positive or is exposed to COVID-19 you should follow the latest quarantine and isolation provided on the chart below.
Schodack Quarantine & Isolation Guidance Chart (as of January 21, 2022)
Self Reporting COVID-19 Cases to the District
Going forward we will allow Schodack families to self-report COVID-19 cases to the district using over-the-counter home tests and an online form. Please use the form below to self-report a positive COVID-19 case to the district as soon as you know about it.
COVID-19 Test Result Self Reporting Form
Home Testing Program
Students, teachers, and staff who are not vaccinated or have not completed a primary vaccine series are eligible to participate in the district’s home testing program that allows them to stay in the school setting during the quarantine period. Outside the school setting, quarantine recommendations would still apply.
Schodack families who want to participate in the home testing program will receive home tests from their student’s school and follow these steps:
- After COVID exposure, test your student on the morning of Day 3 and 5 before bringing them to school or boarding the bus
- Report the results on the COVID-19 Test Result Self Reporting Form here
- If negative and asymptomatic, your student may report to school
- If positive or symptoms start, report it to your school nurse and keep student home
For families who do not want to participate in the home testing program, your student would be required to complete 5 days of quarantine at home before returning to school.
As always, I truly appreciate all your patience and collaboration as we navigate this frequent, ever-changing guidance for our schools.
Sincerely,
Jason M. Chevrier
Superintendent
Schodack Central School District
