SHAWANO, WI- The Shawano School District is ready to begin the year with face-to-face learning, five-days a week for all students beginning September 1st. The COVID Mitigation plan was approved this week. The plan is for the district to continue to monitor the local COVID-19 conditions as the school year progresses. Masking will be optional for all students and staff at all levels, but masking mandates may be put in place if there are high numbers of positive cases in the buildings, or high rates of transmission in the community. The approved plan also calls for social distancing of 3 to 6 feet, promotes frequent hand washing use of hand sanitizer and encourages vaccinations for those eligible. Cohort classes will be used wherever possible. Onsite Rapid Antigen COVID-19 testing for symptomatic staff and students will be conducted this year and the district teams and county health department will continue contact tracing. The district also approved using the shortened quarantine options which is 10 days without symptoms and returning on day 11 and 7 days without symptoms and a negative test collected on day 5 or after allows for a return on day 8.
The complete plan is below.
Shawano School District
Covid Mitigation Proposed Recommendations- 2021/22
Updated: 8/10/2021
Students benefit from in-person learning. Safely returning to full time in-person instruction in the fall
2021 is a priority. Implementing layered prevention strategies (e.g., using multiple prevention strategies
together consistently) helps protect all students and staff including those with health conditions that
place them at higher risk for severe illness.
Recommended Mitigation Measures
Shawano School District will continue to monitor and evaluate the local/state/national COVID-19
conditions. All stakeholders in the District must be prepared for rapid changes to all of the
components within these recommendations.
Masking Recommendation by Health Entities
• Universal masking of all students and staff regardless of vaccination status is currently
recommended by the CDC, AAP and DHS.
o Benefits include – quarantine exemption for both parties masking, decreased classroom
quarantines, less burden on staff and families (childcare, missed work, more face -to-face learning), less need for contact tracing within the school.
• Buses/Public Transportation – The CDC’s Order requiring masks for everyone on all public
transportation does extend to school buses (public and private). All students should wear a
mask while on the bus.
Shawano School District Masking Mitigation Levels
• Masks optional for students and staff.
• Masks optional for staff and students with the flexibility to go to required masks based on
community transmission, local school data, and building burden. Considerations include:
numbers of positive cases in our buildings, number of students/staff quarantined, high rates of
transmission in the community.
Shawano School District Isolation and Quarantine – Follow current public health recommendations for
isolation and quarantine, including allowing the shortened quarantine options.
• Quarantine for unvaccinated students/staff may return after:
• 10 days without symptoms, return on day 11
• 7 days without symptoms and negative test collected on day 5 or after, return on day 8
• Isolation (positive case) 10 days from onset of symptoms or date of positive test if asymptomatic
Contact Tracing – will continue coordinating with the local health department.
Testing
• At this time, we do not plan to offer onsite screening testing of asymptomatic staff and students
without a known exposure. This type of testing is not recommended for fully vaccinated
individuals.
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• Onsite rapid antigen Covid-19 testing for symptomatic staff and students will continue through
the district nurses with test kit support from DHS.
Physical Distancing – 3 to 6 feet spacing is recommended.
Health Screening – all staff and students are asked to do a daily self-screener and stay home when sick
and be tested for Covid if meeting symptom criteria.
Cohorts – Recommend cohorting when possible to limit the numbers of students who may be required
to quarantine due to an exposure at school.
Sports – Follow WIAA guidance.
Maintain other mitigation measures currently in place such as:
• Promote frequent handwashing and respiratory etiquette
• Easy access to hand sanitizer throughout the buildings
• Adequate ventilation
• Maintain routine cleaning schedule, paying extra attention to high touch surfaces
• Encourage COVID-19 vaccination. On-site opportunities will be offered.
Supporting data:
• Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance (7/27/2021)
for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff,
students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
• The AAP recommends universal masking in school at this time for the following reasons:
o a significant portion of the student population is not eligible for vaccination
o protection of unvaccinated students from COVID-19 and to reduce transmission
o vaccination uptake within the surrounding school community
▪ Under age 12 are not eligible to receive the COVID vaccine at this time
▪ 12 to 15 age group 17.9% received at least one dose of the vaccine in Shawano
County
▪ 16 to 17 age group 23.3% received at least one dose of the vaccine in Shawano
County
o continued concerns for variants that are more easily spread among children,
adolescents, and adults
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/schools.htm
https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/
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https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Health/Covid/Guidelines-Return-2021-FallSports.pdf?ver=Np1tdDb49qrqIBeaeRyc_A%3d%3d×tamp=1626794745853
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