Floyd County Schools is committed to maximizing in-person learning opportunities and has implemented layered prevention strategies recommended by health and medical experts to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 and safeguard the well-being of students, employees, and families.
Throughout the pandemic, Floyd County Schools has aligned our COVlD-19 protocols to the guidance of our partners at the Floyd County Health Department and Kentucky Department for Public Health.
On January 10, 2022, the Kentucky Department for Public Health announced revised guidance that will reduce the amount of school that students and staff miss because of COVID-19. Their new guidelines are based on the latest findings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that when universal masking is in place, students and staff are less likely to contract COVID-19 at school.
The decreased number of positive cases now makes it possible to adopt the new KDPH guidelines.
Beginning Tuesday, February 15, 2022, here’s what is changing in Floyd County Schools:
- Beginning Tuesday, February 15, 2022, voluntary testing for students and employees will be available at every school in the district. Testing is voluntary but students must have a signed consent.
- The district’s Test-to-Stay-in-School program will now be available to all students and staff regardless of where they were exposed to COVID-19. Participants in Test-to-Stay must remain symptom-free.
- In accordance with Kentucky Department for Public Health guidelines for school districts with universal masking, FCS students and employees will not be quarantined for in-school exposure.*
- Schools will notify families and staff if an individual in the classroom has tested positive for COVID-19. Families and staff will be encouraged to monitor for symptoms and follow health department guidance about being tested for COVID-19 on day 5, 6, or 7 from the exposure.
- Those who have been placed in quarantine by the FCHD because of an out-of-school exposure will have the choice to quarantine at home or participate in the Test-to-Stay-in-School program.
We will continue these guidelines:
- We will continue to require face masks while indoors in all district facilities and FCS vehicles, including on school buses.
- We will continue to follow precautionary measures including enhanced cleaning protocols, frequent handwashing, physical distancing when possible, and extensive air-quality improvements.
- Students and employees should continue the practice of staying home if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID -19, such as fever (temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater) or chills, a new cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, muscle or body aches, vomiting or diarrhea, and an onset of loss of taste or smell. They should not return to school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
- Medical professionals continue to encourage all eligible students, employees, families, and community members to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive boosters as appropriate. The district will continue to provide educational materials related to vaccines and work with health partners to offer vaccine clinics at convenient school and district locations.
- Local health departments and medical providers will continue to issue isolation orders for individuals who test positive for COVlD-19 and schools will continue to honor their instructions.