A local school board will vote Monday on a policy that would make masks optional again, and make it so that asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 cases could avoid quarantine if they wear masks and monitor for symptoms.
Under a new Franklin schools proposal, masks would be recommended, not required. Masks will be required at any school where more than 2% of students are out due to testing positive for COVID-19. The mask mandate would be lifted again once the number of COVID-19 positive students dropped to less than 1%. If at least four schools have more than 2% of students out due to positive tests, a mask mandate would be put in place at all schools in the district, and would not be lifted until at least five schools have less than 1% of students out, according to the proposal.
The proposal would also change quarantine procedures. If approved by the school board, close contacts of COVID-19 cases could return to school without having to quarantine, regardless of whether they are vaccinated. Students who skip quarantine would have to wear a mask for 10 days from the date of exposure, remain asymptomatic and visit the nurse’s office at the start of each school day for a temperature check and symptom screening until those 10 days have elapsed, according to the proposal.
But the state’s COVID-19 control measures, issued in September, say students who are not fully vaccinated or have not recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days “shall quarantine” for at least seven days after the date of exposure, provided they follow precautionary measures such as a negative COVID-19 test after Day 5, according to documents from the Indiana Department of Health.
Other close contacts are asked to stay out of school until 10 days from exposure if taking precautions such as masking when they return. Students who wait for two weeks after exposure to the virus don’t have to follow additional precautions, the state says.
Students don’t have to quarantine in settings where masks are required for all students, but Franklin schools is removing the mask mandate.
The ambiguity lies in the word “shall,” when it comes to students quarantining after being deemed close contacts. Shall can often be interpreted as either a requirement or a suggestion. Such was the decision of Supreme Court case “Gutierrez de Martinez v. Lamagno,” for which the judge’s opinion read the word as “reasonably susceptible for divergent interpretations.”
Another technicality that may work in Franklin schools’ favor is the fact that Indiana is a “home rule” state. Home rule gives local governments the ability to determine their local policies, and that rule extends to school boards as local authorities, Indiana Department of Health spokesperson Megan Wade-Taxter said in an email.
“Ultimately, Indiana is a home rule state, and decisions about protocols rest with school boards and local leaders, including local health departments and elected officials,” Wade-Taxter said.
The proposed changes were run by the Johnson County Health Department and Health Officer Jefferson Qualls. Qualls approved the plans that will be voted on Monday, said David Clendening, Franklin schools superintendent.
“We review our data and work with Dr. Qualls to make the best decisions for the district,” Clendening said.
There were just six students out of school due to testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, according to Franklin schools’ COVID-19 dashboard. Additionally, 96% of those who were deemed close contacts have not tested positive for COVID-19, he said.
Qualls did not respond to multiple requests for comment by deadline, and the district’s attorney Roger Young said he would have to speak to school officials before commenting.
Franklin schools has a goal of keeping students in school, Clendening said.
“Our job is to be educators, not health experts. That’s why we’re looking to Dr. Qualls to help with that,” he said. “The biggest factor is to get kids to stay in that learning mode, to deal with learning loss and to help with moving forward.”
IF YOU GO
Franklin schools will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at Franklin Community Middle School.
During the meeting, the school board will vote on the following policy:
Masks
Masks and facial coverings are recommended in any FCS space or activity, including athletics, choir, band, etc., during the school day.
● Masks will be required on buses while a federal mandate is in place.
● Buildings with a COVID-19 positivity rate above 2% will be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, until the positivity rate drops below 1%. ● If (4) buildings exceed a positivity rate of 2%, all FCS buildings will require masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, until (5) buildings have a positivity rate below 1%.
Quarantine
Parents/guardians of a student identified as a close contact will be notified and presented with these options.
Exemptions
Those identified as a close contact will not have to quarantine if they:
● Provide proof of being fully vaccinated; OR
● Provide proof of an independent positive COVID-19 test within the past six months
Those identified as a close contact but do not meet the exemption requirements above will be permitted to attend school if they adhere to the following provisions:
● Properly wear a mask while inside all FCS buildings for ten days from the date of exposure, AND
● Visit the clinic assistant at the start of each morning for a temperature check and symptom screening for ten days from the date of exposure.
Those identified as a close contact who do not meet the exemption requirements above and choose not to adhere to the mask and screening provisions will be required to quarantine for ten days from the date of exposure. Mask exemptions are not applicable during the isolation/quarantine period.
Contact Tracing
Any individual within 3 ft. of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes in a 24 hour period would be identified as a close contact.
FCS data show that 96% of those identified as a close contact (when contact tracing at 3 ft. in a mask optional setting) did not test positive for COVID-19.
Continued Mitigation Procedures
● HVAC systems are optimized to maximize air ventilation.
● Custodial staff will continue to sanitize high-traffic areas, including student desks and cafeteria tables.
● Students will be encouraged to wash/sanitize their hands during breaks and throughout the school day.
● Faculty/staff will be encouraged to use outdoor classrooms for instructional activities when appropriate.
● COVID-19 symptom screening reminders will be shared with faculty, staff, students, and parents.
● Data will continue to be collected, monitored, and shared via the FCS COVID-19 Dashboard.
Source: Franklin Community School Corporation
