2021-22 School Year Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
The information shared below will be evaluated weekly and updated as needed or as additional questions arise. Major changes in guidance related to health orders issued by the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) or the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will be communicated directly to parents and guardians via email.
We have organized the information into the following categories:
- Mask Protocols
- Physical Distancing
- Health Screenings & Monitoring of COVID-19 Symptoms
- Positive COVID-19 Cases
- Exposure/ Testing/ Quarantine
- Cleaning/ Sanitation/ Ventilation
- Events
- Recess & Lunch
- Sports & Extracurriculars
- Student Information
- Vaccinations
- Visitors & Volunteers
- Holiday Travel
FAQs last updated on: May 11, 2022
- NEW: Volunteer limits of 2 per classroom at any one time have been lifted. Please consult your classroom teacher and site principal for volunteer protocols.
-
Mask Protocols
- Are masks required at school?
- Per CPHD & ACPHD guidance , masks will be required for all students and staff when indoors (regardless of vaccination status) and will be optional when outdoors. The February 9, 2022 joint county health press release removed the indoor mask mandate in most settings effective February 16, 2022. However, the indoor mask requirement for K-12 schools remains in effect for the time being. There has been no change to the protocols for school settings.
- NEW: Starting after March 11, 2022, the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) will remove the mask requirement for students in schools and child care facilities. Masks will be strongly recommended, but not required after March 11. For more details, review the .
- What type of face coverings or masks may be worn?
- If choosing to wear a mask, according to CDPH, an effective mask has both good fit and good filtration. A well-fitted mask has no gaps between the face and mask. To see the recommendations for masks:
- Are masks required at school?
-
Physical Distancing
- Are there physical distancing requirements for schools?
- Per CDPH guidance, there are no physical distancing requirements indoors with universal masking or outdoors, however, best practice is for classroom space between occupants to be maximized.
- Are there physical distancing requirements during lunch when students are eating?
- Per CDPH guidance, there are no physical distancing requirements, however, if students are eating lunch indoors, it is recommended and best practice to have students moderately distanced. Options for eating lunch outdoors will be provided to students whenever possible.
-
Health Screenings & COVID-19 Symptom Checks
- Will online daily health screenings be required for the 2021-22 school year?
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- No formal screening will need to be filled out prior to a student coming to school. Parents and students should monitor for COVID symptoms prior to entering a school campus, district office, or other 91社区facility. Anyone who is sick with symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and call their medical provider for advice. Those symptoms include:
- What is the protocol for a student exhibiting symptoms of COVID?
- Your student, regardless of vaccination status experiencing COVID symptoms should stay home and test for COVID-19.
- They may return to school when:
- Symptom(s) have improved and they are fever free for 24 hours.
- It is strongly recommended to take a COVID test to rule out COVID-19, however proof of a negative test is not required to return to school.
- It is strongly recommended, but not required, to wear a well fitted mask around others, indoors and outdoors for a total of 10 days.
- Please refer to the for additional clarification and understanding.
- They may return to school when:
- Your student, regardless of vaccination status experiencing COVID symptoms should stay home and test for COVID-19.
- What is the protocol for a student that develops symptoms while on campus?
- Each site has a designated isolation space that the student will remain in until their parent arrives to take them home.
- Will online daily health screenings be required for the 2021-22 school year?
-
Positive COVID-19 Cases
- What should I do if my student tests positive for COVID-19?
- Please contact your school to inform them as soon as possible so that staff can begin the contact tracing process.
- Your student, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection, or lack of symptoms must isolate themselves at home.
- Stay home for 5 days (day 0 is the first day of symptoms or the day of the positive test result if they are asymptomatic).
- Isolation can end AFTER day 5 if symptoms are resolving, the student is fever free, AND a negative antigen test is produced (an at-home antigen test or monitored antigen test with a healthcare provider is preferred). A picture of the negative test result with the student’s name and date on the test must be emailed or brought in person to the school site or administrator.
- If unable to test, choosing not to test, or their symptoms are not resolving, they must continue isolation through Day 10 and return to school on Day 11 (proof of a negative test is not required).
- They must wear a well fitted mask around others, indoors and outdoors for a total of 10 days.
- When will parents be notified of a positive case of COVID-19 at school?
- Parents will be notified of a COVID-19 exposure regardless of their student’s vaccination status if their student is determined to have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- An individual is considered to have had a COVID-19 exposure if they have spent more than a cumulative total of 15 minutes (within a 24-hour time period) in a shared indoor airspace (e.g., classroom) with someone with COVID-19 during their period of infectiousness. Therefore, if there is a confirmed positive COVID-19 case in your student’s classroom, you will receive an email exposure notification.
- Parents can view our 91社区COVID Dashboard which is updated daily on school days before 5pm (as of Friday, 8/27/2021) and includes the total number of confirmed positive cases by site.
- Is the District tracking and reporting positive COVID-19 cases?
- Our 91社区COVID Dashboard is updated daily on school days before 5pm (as of 8/27/2021) and available to view with total numbers of confirmed positive cases by site.
- Where can I see Alameda County’s level of community transmission?
- You can view Alameda County’s level of community transmission on the webpage.
- What should I do if my student tests positive for COVID-19?
-
Exposure/ Quarantine/ Testing
- What is the definition of an exposure?
- An individual is considered to have had a COVID-19 exposure if they have spent more than a cumulative total of 15 minutes (within a 24-hour time period) in a shared indoor airspace (e.g., classroom) with someone with COVID-19 during their period of infectiousness. Therefore, if there is a confirmed positive COVID-19 case in your student’s classroom, you will receive an email exposure notification.
- Does an exposed student need to quarantine?
- All exposed students, regardless of vaccination status, can continue to attend school and extracurricular activities as long as they are asymptomatic and not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Modified quarantine protocols for unvaccinated students have been discontinued.
- Upon receiving an exposure notification, CDPH highly recommends that all students, vaccinated or unvaccinated, be tested for COVID-19 within 3-5 days, unless they tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days. Testing is not required for school attendance, however it is recommended.
- If my student receives an exposure letter, what are my options for testing?
- Drop-in, no-cost COVID-19 testing at the 91社区District Office Boardroom (685 E. Jack London Boulevard) is available Monday - Friday from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. In order to participate, please be sure your student is . Students must be accompanied by their parent or guardian for testing and provide a digital or printed copy of their exposure letter.
- Use of an at-home antigen test. (If obtaining an at-home test poses a hardship, your school should have a limited supply.)
- Test with your healthcare provider.
- .
- Do I need to provide a negative test result to my school in order for my exposed student to attend?
- No, you do not need to submit your student’s negative test results to your school, however, if your student tests positive for COVID-19, please ensure they isolate at home immediately and notify your school right away.
- If I suspect my student may have COVID, can I bring them to the District Office to be tested?
- Testing at the District Office is only available for students who have received an exposure notification from their school. If your student is symptomatic or you suspect they have been exposed outside of school, please keep them home and contact your healthcare provider, use an at-home antigen test, or for testing.
- What is the definition of an exposure?
-
Cleaning/ Sanitation/ Ventilation
- What are the cleaning and sanitation protocols for the 2021-22 school year?
- Our Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities team is focusing on the daily cleaning of touchpoints (high traffic areas: desktops, chairs, faucets, sinks, light switches, door handles, etc.) using a high quality hydrogen peroxide disinfectant.
- Electrostatic sprayers are used as needed.
- What protocols are in place for ventilation in buildings and classrooms?
- Our HVAC systems filter the air in our facilities at a frequency that exceeds the recommendation of the CDC.
- Our remote access HVAC system helps to monitor and detect issues and monitor carbon dioxide levels in each room.
- Air purifiers and mobile AC units are available for use in the event that a classroom’s air conditioning unit is in need of repair.
- MERV -13 filters are installed and replaced on a regular schedule.
-
Events
- What are the protocols for indoor public events?
- Per CDPH guidance, starting April 1, 2022, requirements for vaccine verification or proof of negative test for Indoor Mega Events will be lifted and move to a strong recommendation. For details: .
- What are the protocols for indoor public events?
-
Recess & Lunch
- Will students need to wear their masks at recess and lunch?
- As of March 14, students have the choice to wear or not wear masks at any time in both indoor and outdoor school settings.
- Is lunch free for all students this year?
- Yes, as stated in your student’s Powerschool Annual Enrollment Update you completed prior to school starting, all students can receive free lunch at school this year. More information can be found on our Child Nutrition website.
-
Sports & Extracurriculars
- What are the health and safety protocols for sports, band, chorus, and clubs?
-
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released that addresses extracurricular activities including sports, band, chorus, and clubs. The following verbiage is taken directly from the guidance (listed #16 in the guidance link included above) and reads as follows:
The requirements and recommendations in this guidance apply to all extracurricular activities that are operated or supervised by schools, and all activities that occur on a school site, whether or not they occur during school hours, including, but not limited to, sports, band, chorus, and clubs.
Indoor mask use remains an effective layer in protecting against COVID-19 infection and transmission, including during sports, music, and related activities, especially activities with increased exertion and/or voice projection, or prolonged close face-face contact. Accordingly:
- Masks are strongly recommended indoors at all times for teachers, referees, officials, coaches, and other support staff.
- Masks are strongly recommended indoors for all spectators and observers.
- Masks are strongly recommended indoors at all times when participants are not actively practicing, conditioning, competing, or performing. Masks are also strongly recommended indoors while on the sidelines, in team meetings, and within locker rooms and weight rooms.
- When actively practicing, conditioning, performing, or competing indoors, masks are strongly recommended by participants even during heavy exertion, as practicable. Individuals using instruments indoors that cannot be played with a mask (e.g., wind instruments) are strongly recommended to use bell coverings and maintain a minimum of 3 feet of physical distancing between participants.
-
- What are the health and safety protocols for sports, band, chorus, and clubs?
-
Student Information
- Where can I find the bell schedule for my student?
- Please check your school’s website for bell schedule information. We are returning to pre-COVID schedules, including early release Wednesdays.
- Will students be dressing for PE and using locker rooms?
- Yes, students in middle and high school will be dressing for PE and utilizing locker rooms.
-
Vaccinations
- Are COVID-19 vaccinations required for students?
- COVID-19 vaccinations are not required for students, but are strongly encouraged for those aged 5 and up.
- CDPH has issued a stating that any COVID-19 vaccine requirement for students will not take effect until after full FDA approval and no sooner than July 1, 2023. For the 2022-23 school year, there will be no requirement of a COVID-19 vaccine for students to attend school.
- How can I provide my student's proof of the COVID-19 vaccine?
- Parents choosing to provide a copy of their student's COVID-19 vaccination card can bring a copy of it to their school office or attach a picture of it to an email to healthservicesstaff@lvjusd.org. Having proof of vaccination on file with your school will proactively identify your student as vaccinated and will assist our staff with the contact tracing and notification process should your student be exposed to a positive COVID-19 case on campus.
- Are COVID-19 vaccinations required for staff?
- Teachers and staff are required to be fully vaccinated or submit to weekly testing per the .
- How do I get vaccinated?
- Contact your healthcare provider or find .
- Will there be any vaccination clinics at school sites?
- We do not currently have plans for vaccination clinics at school sites, but we will continue to inform parents of community clinics as they arise.
- Is it a HIPPA violation to be asked what my vaccination status is?
- No. HIPPA, also known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and its subsequently added Privacy Rule include provisions to protect a person’s identifying health information from being shared without their knowledge or consent. The law, though, only applies to specific health-related entities, such as insurance providers, health-care clearinghouses, health-care providers and their business associates. There is nothing in HIPAA that bars asking people about their health —including vaccination status — or requiring proof that the information is accurate. Due to the sensitive nature of vaccination status, teachers and coaches shall refrain from discussing vaccination status with students.
- What do I do if my student exhibits COVID-19 symptoms as a result of a recent vaccination?
- Please refer to the .
- Are COVID-19 vaccinations required for students?
-
Visitors & Volunteers
- Will parents be allowed on campus?
- Parents can drop off or pick up their students on the outside perimeters of campus. Staff will be available in the mornings and afternoons to ensure all students get on and off of campus safely.
- Do schools allow parent or community volunteers?
- Starting March 31, 2022, school volunteers no longer need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Please check with your school site regarding limits on the number of volunteers for specific events.
- Ongoing, regular classroom/school volunteers must be cleared through our online volunteer portal.
- Will parents be allowed on campus?
Commonly Referenced Documents
-
91社区COVID-19 Protocols for Students- Updated 4.21.22 - Spanish
- English & Spanish *UPDATED 1.19.22
ACPHD's COVID-19 Testing Scenarios- Updated 1.14.22
-
Holiday Travel Guidance
- What are the health and safety protocols if travelling over the holidays?
- The CDC recommends that those travelling internationally or domestically over the holidays, follow health and safety protocols related to their vaccination status. Please see for details.