HEALTH MITIGATION STRATEGIES UPDATE - SPECIAL CALLED SCHOOL BOARD MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022 - BOARDDOCS
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Health Mitigation Strategies
Update
Special Called School Board Meeting
January 20, 2022
Current Health Data
Omicron Variant
Omicron Variant
• Much more contagious than other variants of COVID-19.
• Case rates are accelerating across the state and all 35 health districts are in “surge” status.
• Models predict a continued sharp rise in cases for several more weeks.
• Disease appears to be milder for those who are vaccinated but more serious/deadly for
those who are not vaccinated.
○ VDH and CDC continue to recommend getting vaccinate as the best defense.
Sources: Lord Fairfax Health District and University of Virginia’s Biocomplexity Institute
Daily Case Counts for the Last 90 Days - VA
Core Indicator - Total # of New Cases per 100,000 Date 1/15/22 1/8/22 12/4/21 11/6/21 10/17/21 10/3/21 9/26/21 9/18/21 9/4/21 8/21/21 7/10/21 Rate 1,195 1,065 271.9 138.1 246.8 472.8 656.8 719.6 456.0 205.0 20.9 Level high high high high high high high high high high moderate
Core Indicator - Percentage of Positive PCR Tests
Date 1/15/22 1/8/22 12/4/21 11/6/21 10/17/21 10/3/21 9/26/21 9/18/21 9/4/21 8/21/21 7/10/21
Rate 42.2% 37.8% 11.6% 10.5% 14.5% 13.2% 21.3% 18.8% 13.0% 9.6% 2.9%
Level substantia
high high high high high high high high high l
moderate
Core Indicator - Indicator for Community Transmission
HIGH
PCPS COVID Dashboard (as of 1-20-22)
Staff Capacity Levels
Low- 0%-9%
Medium 10%-30%
High- 30%+
Luray ES High
Shenandoah ES Low
Springfield ES Medium
Stanley ES Low
Luray MS Low
Page County MS Low/Medium
Luray HS Low
Page County HS High
Nutritional Services High
Transportation Medium
Current PCPS Mitigation Strategies 1. Universal masking 2. Physical distancing 3. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette 4. Cleaning and sanitizing facilities 5. Encouraging students and staff to stay home when sick 6. Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine 7. Ventilation upgrades 8. Screening & Home Testing 9. Promoting vaccination
Quarantine Practices
• The division has made the decision to maintain more stringent quarantining
practices temporarily.
• This was done because of high transmission rates and outbreaks in schools.
• It was done in consultation with the Lord Fairfax Health Department.
• VDH does allow school division discretion to be more stringent when health data
may indicate the need.
• Most common practice is a 10-day quarantine period with the option to
return on day 8 after testing on days 5, 6 or 7.
• Negative PCR (staff or students) or antigen test (students).
• Symptom free or symptoms have improved.
• Fever free for 24-hours without fever free medications.
• If masking is optional, then some students will lose the VDH K-12 Close
Contact Exemption (If a student is masked and 3 to 6 feet apart from an
infected student, the student is not considered in close contact).Various Considerations
Current CDC Recommendation for Masking • Universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status (updated August 4, 2021). • CDC does now also recommend the use of KN95 or N95 masks rather than cloth masks because of the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant.
Legal Considerations Article VIII, Section 7 of the Virginia Constitution • Provides that the “supervision of schools in each school division shall be vested in a school board.”
Legal Considerations
Senate Bill 1303
• Passed by the General Assembly in April of 2021 and enacted as law.
• Expires in August of 2022.
• Can be repealed by the General Assembly before its expiration date.
• Requires that schools do two main things for school divisions:
1. All School Boards must offer in-person instruction to each student this school year.
2. All School Board must provide such “in-person instruction in a manner in which it adheres, to the
maximum extent practicable, to any currently applicable mitigation strategies…provided by the
federal Centers for Disease Control.”Legal Considerations
State Health Commissioners Order- August 2021
• The State Health Commissioner issued an order that required all individuals ages two and
up to wear masks when indoors at public and private K-12 schools
• Clarification
• This requirement for school divisions in August was not an Executive Order issued by
the Governor.
• Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order #02, issued on Jan. 15, 2022, directs the State
Health Commissioner to terminate the health order from August 2021.Legal Considerations
Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order #02 (EO#2)
• Issued on January 15, 2022 and goes into effect on Monday, January 24, 2022
• Contains six (6) different directives:
• Termination of Order of Public Health #10 (August 2021)
• Parents may elect for their child not be subjected to any mask mandate in effect at their school or education program
• No parent electing that the mask mandate not apply shall not be required to provide a reason or make a certification
concerning their child’s health or education.
• Not shall they be required to wear a mask under any policy implemented by a school or division
• The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall rescind the Interim Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Virginia PreK-12
Schools and issue new guidance
• School districts should marshal resources to improve indoor air quality in school facilities
• An EO is not statutory law by definition but is has the force of law.
• An EO can be overridden by the legislature or a court if it is deemed to have exceeded
executive authority.
• EO#2 applies to students and visitors to schools. It does not apply to staff members.
• EO#2 does not ban masks from schools; rather it gives parent’s choice in the matter.Department of Labor & Interior Standards • Currently, the Virginia Department of Labor & Interior (VDOLI) state that all Virginia employers must follow the CDC current recommendation for masking for their staff • Governor Youngkin has asked VDOLI to review their standards with respect to EO#2 and provide him with a report in 30 days.
Masks Required on Division Buses & Cars
• Currently, the CDC has a federal mandate in place that masks must be worn on all forms
of public transportation.
○ This includes PCPS school buses and division vehicles.
○ Includes students and staff.
• EO#2 does not remove this provisions as a requirement for the division.Virginia Department of Health (VDH) • In response to Governor Youngkin’s EO#2, the VDH is reviewing their guidance to schools. • That guidance will be shared with schools. No date provided.
Virginia Department of Education Transition at the VDOE • Rosa Adkins is currently the interim Superintendent of Public Instruction. • Jillian Balow has been named by Governor Youngkin as the next Superintendent of Public Instruction and will replace Dr. Atkins. • School divisions are awaiting information from the VDOE related to EO#2.
Current Legal Dilemma
● There is conflict between Senate Bill 1303, Governor Youngkin’s EO#2, and the Virginia
Constitution.
● Litigation
○ Current - Parents in Chesapeake filed a lawsuit this week asking the Virginia Supreme
Court to block EO#2.
○ Potential - It is anticipated that school divisions will face lawsuits from groups on
both sides of this issue.Parent and Staff Feedback
Feedback Request • On Tuesday, January 18, PCPS asked parents/guardians and staff to provide the division with feedback related to the Governor’s Executive Order. • These feedback forms remain open. • The division intends to gather feedback from students in grade 6-12 once they are back in school.
Feedback Data
Parents Staff
Number of Feedback Submissions 403 204
In Favor of Parent Choice 287/403 (71%) 74/204 (36%)
In Favor of Universal Masking 116/403 (29%) 130/204 (64%)
As of 3:30pm (1-20-2022)Moving Forward
Possible Options Moving Forward
1. Move forward with EO#2 and make masking the choice of the parent.
• Masking would remain in place for all staff.
• Masking would be required on all buses due to the federal CDC mandate.
• Masking would be required when students return from quarantine, regardless of parent choice, when we revert to the
new CDC quarantine practices.
• Parents would be required to sign an Opt Out Form (permitted legally).
2. Move forward with EO#2 in one month to let things settle with the Omicron
variant. (Bullets from #1 would apply)
3. Continue with universal masking as we have been doing all school year.
4. Direct division staff to develop a data-based system to provide parent choice
for masking once we reach a better place with community and school
transmission rates.
• Example: American Academy of Pediatrics (graphic is on the next slide)
5. Other Suggested Options??Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Summary ● We are grateful for all of the feedback we have received around this topic from parents and staff. ● Regardless of the decisions made, there will be people who do not agree. ○ We simply ask that you work with us moving forward. ○ We can only move forward together. ○ Please do not take out your frustrations on our administrators, teachers, or staff. ● As with everything related to COVID, things are constantly changing. ○ Information we have today may very well be obsolete tomorrow. ○ This requires everyone’s continued patience and flexibility, even though there is fatigue. ● Our ultimate goals are to protect the health and safety of every single student and staff member and to keep schools open for in-person learning. ○ Both of these are a challenge right now due to the Omicron variant. ● We will continue to communicate information as we receive it.
Thank you!
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