November 3, 2021

Dear Parent/Guardian,
Last week the Ohio Department of Health announced new guidelines for schools in relation to direct contacts and quarantines from school settings. These guidelines are optional for school districts to adopt and follow. It’s important to note that these guidelines do not apply to household exposures or exposures outside of the school setting. This guidance is for direct contacts with someone at school causing someone to quarantine due to contact tracing.
With the adoption of this guidance, we see this as an opportunity for our kids to get back to school and athletics in a quicker timeframe. Please read through the policy below. If you should have any questions, please contact our school nurses relating to return to school (Mask to Stay) or our Athletic Director for a return to athletics (Test to Play).

Mask to Stay
Direct contacts, regardless of vaccination or masking status, may remain in the classroom environment if they do the following:
•	Wear a mask for 14 days after their last date of exposure.
•	Self-monitor, or parent-monitor, for symptoms of COVID-19.
•	Isolate and get tested if they start to experience symptoms associated with COVID-19 (regardless of level of severity).
•	Consistent with guidance for others quarantining in lower-risk environments, students and staff may discontinue these quarantine procedures after seven days — if they don’t develop symptoms and test negative between days 5-7.

Direct contacts for COVID-19 are those individuals who are identified as being directly exposed to COVID-19 by the positive case.
Parents and students are responsible for symptom monitoring; however, if nurses/school staff see a child exhibiting symptoms they should act accordingly.

Test to Play
Asymptomatic contacts may continue to participate in extracurricular activities if they do the following:
•	Wear a mask when able. (This includes: transportation; locker rooms; sitting/standing on the sidelines; and anytime the mask will not interfere with breathing, the activity, or create a safety hazard.)
•	Test on initial notification of exposure to COVID-19.
•	Test again on days 5-7. If they are negative at this time, they will test out of quarantine.

Please Note: The tests referenced above are SARS-CoV-2 viral (PCR or antigen) tests. They should be proctored/observed by someone and cannot be an over the counter, at-home test that was self-administered without a proctor.

Districts should consider same day testing for athletic competitions where there is the potential of school-to-school exposure. If students involved in competitions become positive for COVID-19, contact tracing with other team does not need to occur; instead, send a general letter to notify the other team of the potential exposure.

Again, we see this as an option for parents and their children. This is not a mandate. If your child would fall under a quarantine situation due to being a direct contact from a school setting, you may choose to follow these protocols and have he/she return more quickly. If you should have questions, please contact our school nurses regarding the school setting or our Athletic Director for athletics.

•	Jennifer Garver, Elementary Nurse 419-221-1837 ext. 4111 or garverj@bathwildcats.org •	Tami Niemeyer, MS/HS Nurse 419-221-1839 ext. 3144 or niemeyert@bathwildcats.org •	Kristen Holt, Athletic Director 419-221-0366 ext. 2156 or holtk@bathwildcats.org

Sincerely,

Rich Dackin Superintendent