Local School Guidance
SMCHD recommends a layered approach to reducing the spread of COVID-19 in schools – including COVID-19 vaccination, improvements to building ventilation and air filtration, hand washing, and wearing face masks indoors and distancing when the COVID-19 Community Level is high.
5-16-22: Due to rising rates of new COVID-19 cases, SMCHD recommends that community members age 2 and older wear a mask when in crowded indoor public settings. Masking is especially important for those who may be at higher risk for severe illness, such as seniors, those with chronic medical illnesses, and high-risk worker (healthcare, first responders, food service, retail/grocery, etc.).
Local schools can do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community by following these public health recommendations:
COVID-19 Vaccine
- Offer vaccine incentive programs to encourage employees and students to get a COVID-19 vaccine
- Implement policies requiring employee and student vaccination
- Student vaccination, for example, could apply as a prerequisite for participation in extracurricular activities, including sports
School Environment
- Make improvements to building ventilation and air filtration
- Keep windows open in classrooms, on school buses, cafeterias, auditoriums, school libraries, and other locations when possible
- Use HEPA air purifier units or HEPA air filtration systems, especially in settings like classrooms and cafeterias
- Make handwashing or hand sanitizer readily available
- When the COVID-19 Community Level is high:
- Move school activities outdoors as feasible
- Cohort students as best as possible and maintain six foot distancing in cafeteria settings
- Limit non-essential visitors
- Limit sports and extracurricular activities to those that can be held outdoors, with physical distancing
COVID-19 Testing
- Implement a weekly COVID testing program for screening purposes – some schools have considered weekly testing of all students/staff, or have randomly selected a certain percentage of staff/students for this each week
- The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and MSDE have grant support to offer screening and diagnostic testing services in K-12 schools – Schools that are interested in onsite testing operations should contact the MDH COVID-19 Testing Task Force at MDH.K12Testing@maryland.gov
Masking
- When the COVID-19 Community Level is high, require students, employees, and visitors age 2 and older to wear a mask indoors (and outdoors when in groups where six feet distance is difficult to maintain)
- Encourage and make available more effective mask options – such as medical grade three-ply surgical masks and K-N95 masks
School & Childcare Resources
- State of Maryland: COVID-19 Resources for Schools & Childcare Settings
- CDC Guidance Schools & Child Care Programs
Parent Resources
- St. Mary’s County Public Schools COVID-19 Page
- CDC Parent FAQs: COVID-19 & Schools
- CDC Resources for Parents & Families
- Mental Health & Coping During COVID-19
2021-2022 School Year News & Announcements
- 2-25-22: SMCPS Letter to Parents (En Español)
- 11-05-21: COVID-19 Vaccine School-Based Clinics (En Español)
- 10-01-21: COVID-19 Prevention & Mitigation for Schools
- 9-14-21: New Masking Requirement Effective Immediately for All Maryland Public Schools
- 8-25-21: SMCPS Board of Education Meeting/2021-22 School Year Info
- 8-25-21: Maryland State Board of Education Hosts Special Meeting Thursday, August 26th
- 5-14-21: SMCPS Letter to Parents (En Español)
- 5-12-21: SMCPS Letter to Parents (En Español)
- 2020-2021 Archive
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