Fergus Falls Superintendent of public schools Jeff Drake announced in a letter to parents on Monday that a conversation late last week with a state epidemiologist indicated that COVID cases are expected to continue to climb with a potential peak in early November.
Due to that, beginning Monday, October 11, all students in grades pre-K- 6th grade will be required to wear a mask unless the student meets one of the mask exemption criteria. This will be in effect during the regular school day. All students preK-6th grade are strongly encouraged to begin wearing masks in advance of the October 11 date.
Beginning Wednesday, October 6th, all district staff will be required to wear a mask during the workday. The district is well-aware that the use of masks is not universally supported by everyone in our community, however, we do ask for everyone’s cooperation.
Drake continued, we are well above the pace for positive student and staff cases in comparison to last school year. The district has already encountered staffing issues making it difficult, if not impossible, to provide the level of support that meets our standards and expectations. Our goal is to continue in-person learning throughout the school year. To do that, it has become clear that we need to slow the spread of the disease. Our current mitigation strategies are not enough.
The mask mandate will be in effect through the MEA break (October 25) and we will reassess at that point.
The letter to parents is below
I hope that this correspondence finds you in good spirits and in good health. I have been very pleased with the climate and culture in our district through the first month and look forward to a very positive school year. Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to be a significant issue. A conversation late last week with a state epidemiologist indicated that cases are expected to continue to climb with a potential peak in early November.
We are well above the pace for positive student and staff cases in comparison to last school year. The district has already encountered staffing issues making it difficult, if not impossible, to provide the level of support that meets our standards and expectations. Our goal is to continue in-person learning throughout the school year. To do that, it has become clear that we need to slow the spread of the disease. Our current mitigation strategies are not enough.
Beginning Monday, October 11, all students in grades pre-K- 6th grade will be required to wear a mask unless the student meets one of the mask exemption criteria. This will be in effect during the regular school day. All students preK-6th grade are strongly encouraged to begin wearing masks in advance of the October 11 date. Beginning Wednesday, October 6th, all district staff will be required to wear a mask during the workday. The district is well-aware that the use of masks is not universally supported by everyone in our community, however, we do ask for everyone’s cooperation.
The mask mandate will be in effect through the MEA break (October 25) and we will reassess at that point.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
In certain circumstances, the use of masks may not be reasonable, and safe alternative accommodations should be considered.
Refer to CDC: Disability Exemptions: Order: Wearing of face masks:
- Students who have certain disabilities, behavioral needs, or other health, mental health, or developmental conditions may have difficulty wearing a mask or other face covering safely.
- Students who have trouble breathing or are unable to remove a mask without help should not wear a mask.
- Children under age 2 should not wear a mask.
- Certain situations (e.g., swimming or other activities that will soak or submerge a face covering in water) may make masks unsafe.
HOW MASKS WORK:
- The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be mostly spread by respiratory droplets and fine particles released when people breath, talk, cough, or sneeze.
- Wearing a well-fitted mask stops these droplets from spreading to others. This is extra important because around 40-50% of people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms but can still spread the virus.
- Wearing a mask does not mean people who are sick should be in public. Stay home if you are sick unless you need to seek medical care.
- Wearing a mask and following other public health recommendations (like staying 6 feet from others and washing your hands often) can provide extra layers of protection against getting and spreading COVID-19.
The following graph shows the trend of positive cases in Otter Tail County. The trajectory is heading in the wrong direction. We were forced to move to 100% distance learning in grades 7-12 around Thanksgiving last year and stayed in that model until mid-January. We don’t want to be forced to resume distance learning again.
The next table shows a comparison of school-aged children and school staff from the 2020/21 school year to the present school year. The growth in positive cases is alarming.
Finally, please consider vaccination as a mitigation strategy if your child(ren) is 12 or older. The following table from Sanford Health shows that vaccination reduces the risk of a serious reaction to COVID-19 requiring hospital care.
SCHOOL-BASED COVID-19 TESTING OPTIONS
Cue Test
Nasal Swab Rapid Test – results in about 20 minutes
Testing Site: School
Who: Students who have symptoms and are in school. (For the safety of both students and staff, please do not bring your child back into a school building for testing if they develop symptoms while at home.)
Cue Testing Consent Form
For a Cue test to be performed at school, parental consent is required and kept on file. To expedite the process, you can do this ahead of time by filling out the consent form here. *Please note: Parents/guardians will always be called and asked to also give verbal consent prior to any Covid-19 test being given.
BinaxNOW OTC At-Home Testing
Nasal Swab Rapid Test
Testing Site: Home
Who: Students who are symptomatic.
The test can be picked up at the school.
Pros: Quick result, a positive test means the child has COVID-19
Negative: If the test result is negative, the result is inconclusive and the recommendation is to make arrangements for a different test.
NOTE: These tests are currently on order, we do not know when or if we will receive a shipment.
COVID-19 Vault Saliva Testing at Home
Saliva Test, Not rapid – the results will take 24-48 hours after it is received in the mail.
Testing Site: Home with protocols that involve a Vault test supervisor who will do a video visit and provide instructions.
The test can be picked up at school.
Who: Students who are symptomatic.
As a reminder, if your child has symptoms, please keep them home. We really need your help and cooperation to reduce the spread of this disease. A few of you have inquired about bringing your child back into school for testing. This practice was not recommended by the state epidemiologist out of concerns that additional students and staff members would potentially be exposed to the virus.
We are aware that there are frustrations with the timeliness of some community testing options and have communicated those concerns to OTC Public Health.
We continue to be thankful for your support of the school during these challenging times.
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