Approved by the Board of Education January 2023.

In order to keep our students and staff healthy and avoid disruptions to learning, we plan to put the following health and safety measures in place for the start of the 2022-23 school year. Our plans have been developed with guidance from the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and other health professionals, and align with WGSD policies EBB (Communicable Diseases). The public can provide ongoing input to our plan by emailing connect@wgmail.org.

Guiding Principles

• The physical and mental health and safety of students and staff (and community and region) remain our number one priority.
• Our students will receive high-quality academic programming.
• Ensure equity and access to learning for all students.
• In our planning and implementation, we must regularly assess our current reality and remain flexible and agile based on what is learned and evolving public health conditions.

Face Coverings

Webster Groves School District will utilize the CDC's system of COVID-19 Community Levels to determine the face covering status in schools:

• Low:  Face coverings optional.
• Medium: Face coverings optional.
• High: Face coverings recommended indoors.

The district will notify families and staff when a change in St. Louis County’s Community Level occurs. WGSD will continue to monitor cases in schools and buildings and update the daily dashboard, but will not utilize a threshold for moving to a mask-required status. The district will notify families when 2% of the school population has tested positive for COVID-19.

WGSD will provide high quality masks to those in need.

Communicable Disease Policy

Per Webster Groves District Board of Education Policy EBB: Students or employees with communicable diseases that pose a risk of transmission in school or at school activities (such as, but not limited to, chicken pox, influenza and conjunctivitis) will be managed as required by law and in accordance with guidelines provided by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and local county or city health departments. Such management may include, but is not limited to, exclusion from school or reassignment as needed for the health and safety of students and staff.

How we can continue to help keep our schools healthy and safe:

• Stay home and get tested if you experience symptoms associated with COVID-19, have been exposed at home to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, or have been recently tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting the test result.  
• If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please notify your school nurse as soon as possible.
• If you are an employee and test positive for COVID-19, notify Human Resources as soon as possible.

If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID, they will not be permitted to come to school or work based on board policy and Missouri law. Students should remain in communication with their school nurse and receive authorization prior to returning to school. Staff should remain in communication with HR and receive authorization prior to returning to work. Current protocols are that any positive individual isolate at home for 5 days, and then, if symptoms are improving, they may return to school but are required to wear a mask for days 6-10.

If a student or staff member is exhibiting symptoms of COVID, they may be sent home and required to remain at home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours.

Vaccinations and Testing

WGSD will continue to provide vaccinations and testing clinics each week that school is in session. These clinics are open to the public. The provider will supply primary dose series and booster doses for all eligible age groups. No appointment is needed. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Your insurance will be billed for the service and there are no fees for the uninsured. We will continue to encourage all staff and families of eligible students to talk to their healthcare provider about getting vaccinated. 

Order free at-home COVID-19 tests at the following link: https://www.covid.gov/tests

Clean and Healthy Habits

• Cleaning and sanitizing of all surfaces using recommended disinfectant products.
• Frequent hand washing and sanitizing of hands, along with use of sanitizer
  dispensers in classrooms, hallways, and common areas.
• We will use disinfectant products that are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for effective use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
• Physical distancing when possible and appropriate indoors.
• Sending screening information to parents and staff and following protocols to determine if someone who is symptomatic should remain home.

Monitoring

We will continue to publish data on our COVID-19 Dashboard so families can follow health conditions in each school and building. We will also publish the CDC’s Community Level for St. Louis County. 

Accommodating Students and Staff

We have done our best to accommodate the educational, physical, and social-emotional needs of our children and staff from the start, and will continue to do so moving forward. If there’s support we can provide you or your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s school and they will do what they can to partner with you in meeting your child’s and family’s needs. 

Virtual Learning

WGSD will continue to provide online options through MOCAP to students who would like to learn in the virtual environment. Please contact Dr. Kristin Denbow at denbow.kristin@wgmail.org.