On Friday afternoon at approximately 2:30, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) released new guidance in response to COVID-19 for schools and the students they serve. This guidance is quite contrary to what we have been doing throughout the school year, and it is also in direct contradiction to guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Over the last 14 months, the Anamosa Community School District has tried to abide by the guidance from these two organizations for our day-to-day operations, however, with the two agencies contradicting each other at this time, we are trying to complete the last two weeks of school in a way of compromise. We realize there is not a solution at this point that will appease all of our students, staff, and families so we apologize for that in advance.
Over the last week, we have seen an uptick in the number of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and the data shows there is an overall increase of cases in Jones County. Therefore, for the remaining two weeks of the school year, we will be abiding by the following procedures:
- Still require the use of properly adorned masks by those in our buildings and on bus routes, except for times when people are isolated by themselves, eating, drinking, socially distanced and/or in the presence of others who have been fully vaccinated.
- Will not require the use of masks at any time when students, staff and others are on school property, but outside of our buildings.
- Continue to send students home who have tested positive and/or show symptoms of COVID-19.
- No longer quarantine any students or staff who have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Any student/staff currently in quarantine because of exposure are allowed to return to school on Monday, May 17.
- Will notify the parents/guardians of any student who has been exposed to an individual testing positive for COVID-19 and allow the parents/guardians of the student the right to decide if their child will be quarantined from school and school activities due to exposure.
- Graduation will be held as “normal” in the gym with no limit on spectators. Masks will be required for attendees, but not required for graduates. Graduation will be live-streamed, but the normal graduation set-up will not lend itself to good video quality.
We have posted the recent IDPH and CDC guidance to our website for your review.
Sincerely,
Larry Hunt, Superintendent
Carl Chalstrom, School Board President
