COVID-19 Information & Resources

State-Mandated Requirements

• Full-time in-person learning available to all students
• Face coverings in all indoor spaces and in crowded settings outdoors*
• COVID-19 vaccination for all school and district staff**

Additional COVID-19 Mitigation Protocols

• Physical distancing of three (3) feet or more between students in classroom settings to the degree possible and reasonable, and layered mitigation strategies and protocols to protect students and staff in common areas when physical distancing options are limited.  
• Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing routines
• Enhanced building ventilation and air filtration
• Emphasis on regular handwashing and good hygiene practices
• Mandatory COVID-19 testing for specific high-risk sports and voluntary COVID-19 testing available through schools
• Appropriate PPE for high risk student activities such as vocal and instrumental music or indoor exercise

Details on how RSD is limiting risks from COVID-19 in schools can be found in the Road To Recovery document.

* DOH has laid out limited exceptions to the face covering requirement for individuals with a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a face-covering. Any child wanting to be considered for a face mask waiver must submit a COVID-19 Face Mask/Cloth Face Covering Waiver Request to their child’s school. Students will be required to wear a cloth face covering or clear face shield with a drape in schools and on school buses until a requested waiver is granted.

**Staff must either verify their COVID-19 vaccination or request a medical or religious accommodation.

 

REMINDER: Please keep your child home if they are sick. This includes: an earache or severe headache; a fever of 100 degrees or more; a sore throat or swollen glands; a persistent cough or runny nose; skin rash or sores; inflammation of the eyes; nausea, vomiting or other stomach flu symptoms; painful swelling of any kind or another communicable disease. School health room staff may contact parents to pick up their children if they display any of these symptoms at school independent of concerns of being positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 Symptoms (not related to another condition)

• Fever (100.4 or higher)
• Chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Muscle/body aches
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea (2 or more loose stools in 24 hours)
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of taste or smell
• Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing

If a student has tested positive for COVID-19, they may not return to school until meeting the following:

• 5 days past symptom onset or positive specimen collection date if no symptoms are present or resolving; severely ill or severely immunocompromised may need to isolate for up to 20 days; AND
• No fever within the  past 24 hours without use of fever reducing medications.
• Continue monitoring for symptoms and wear a well-fitting mask through day 10, including during extracurricular and sports activities; AND
• Receive a negative antigen (rapid) test on day 5 of isolation period.
  • If negative, may return to school/work and continue to wear well-fitting mask around others through day 10.
  • If positive, student/staff must isolate for the full 10-day isolation period (i.e., return on day 11 after symptom onset or test collection date if asymptomatic).
  • Home tests are acceptable, but staff or parents will be asked to attest to the integrity of the test results.
• Individuals who have accommodations that allow them to attend school and not wear a well-fitting mask or face shield with drape/wrap must isolate the full 10 days.

 

Benton-Franklin Health District COVID-19 Testing Site Locator

RSD schools will have COVID-19 tests available for students and staff for following scenarios:

• Student/staff member begins to show symptoms while at school or work
• Student/staff member is symptomatic and needs testing before attending school or reporting to work
• Student/staff member is participating in Test-To-Stay program following exposure to a positive case
• Student/staff member tested positive, is fever free, symptoms have improved, and is seeking testing on Day 5 of isolation to verify whether they may return to school or work on Day 6 following a negative test.

All testing provided through RSD is done with rapid antigen tests. Regardless of test result, students who have a temperature greater than 100 degrees or severe COVID-like symptoms will need to go home and return according to current guidance.

Testing is voluntary and tests will not be administered on students without prior parent/guardian notification and proper consent from the parent or legal guardians. To help facilitate the testing, families may complete the COVID-19 Testing Consent Form and return it to their child's school if the parents want their student to be tested if needed. Completed consent forms will be kept in the health room. Consent will be valid for the 2021-22 school year and can be revoked at any time.

If a student is feeling ill at school and has COVID-19-like symptoms, health staff will verify the student has written consent on file and make efforts to contact families before administering a rapid test. If a student does not have a written consent on file, a parent will be contacted to ask if they would still like to have their child tested. If yes, two school staff members must witness the verbal consent before the test is administered.

The Test-To-Stay program allows individuals who are a close contact to a positive case to continue attending school or work onsite if they meet the following conditions:

• Eligibility requirements:
  • Between ages of 5-17 who have not competed primary vaccination series  
  • Individuals 18 and over who completed primary series but not the recommended booster shot when eligible;
  • Individuals who are not vaccinated or have not competed a primary vaccine series
• Must be able to wear a well-fitting mask; AND
• Are asymptomatic; AND
• Are tested at least twice during five days of at-school/work quarantine (testing should be done when notified of exposure and on day 5); AND
• May not participate in social gatherings, social activities.
• Students may participate in extracurricular activities at school, including sports, and can attend childcare or youth development.
• Must self-monitor and isolate immediately if any symptoms develop and get tested.
• Any positive tests result in isolation as indicated in guidance.

Students and staff members needing testing may be directed by school health room staff on when testing opportunities are offered by the district outside the school day.

COVID-19 Testing Consent Permission Form (English)

COVID-19 Testing Consent Permission Form (Spanish)

Most commercial pharmacies such as Rite-Aid and Walgreens and those located in retailers such as Safeway/Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Walmart and Costco offer COVID-19 vaccinations at no charge. You can find information about vaccination events through the Benton-Franklin Health District website.

The district will share other vaccination opportunities in the community or hosted at schools as they are scheduled.

District and school leaders, with input from staff and the community, developed Our Road To Recovery to help students and families return to school. This plan includes additional and enhanced services to address learning loss, mitigate potential inequities facing students and their families and training for staff on how to connect and support students who may be struggling.

View Our Road To Recovery

Washington Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 Requirements For K-12 Schools

Washington State DOH K-12 Activity Guidance FAQ’S - WIAA

U.S. Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Recommendations For K-12 Schools