NEW PALESTINE — Southern Hancock school officials altered their quarantine protocol this week to allow students and staff who have been quarantined due to exposure, but have not tested positive for COVID-19, to get back to the classroom sooner rather than later.
The measure, which was already in place at Mt. Vernon schools, allows for students and staff who have been identified as exposed to the coronavirus to get back on campus on day eight of the quarantine rather than spend 14 days away.
The county’s other two districts, Greenfield-Central and Eastern Hancock, are sticking with the 14-day quarantine protocol.
“We want the kids back. We don’t want healthy kids to miss 14 days,” Southern Hancock communications director Wes Anderson said. He noted everyone who comes back before day 14, however, will have to wear a mask and maintain distance from others.
There are a few return options for quarantined students or staff, Anderson said. The new measures include a negative test dated on or after day five of the quarantine. In that case, the student or staff member may return to school on day eight. Officials noted an at-home or rapid test will not be accepted. Plus, the student or staff member must wear a mask from day eight until day 14 and also maintain distance from others until day 14.
Another option includes allowing a student or staff member to return on day 11; they do not have to produce a negative test result to do so. However, a mask must be worn from day 11 through day 14, according to the policy. Social distancing also will be implemented through day 14, which is a procedure required by the Indiana Department of Health, district officials said.
Anderson released the new quarantine protocol late Tuesday, Aug. 10, making it effective Wednesday, Aug. 11. While other districts, including Mt. Vernon, already allow students and staff back on campus on day eight if all protocols are met, Southern Hancock officials said they needed a little more time to map out their quarantine plan.
“There were a lot of procedures we wish we could have started the year with, but some of the reason we couldn’t do that was manpower and because of the late hour we got recommendations from the state,” Anderson said.
The district has made plans to hire a health assistant to keep track of the contact tracing and quarantined students and staff, noting the task was just too much work for the schools’ nursing staffs.
Mt. Vernon district officials are letting unvaccinated students and staff back on day eight with a negative test, as long as they wear a mask and socially distance through day 14.
Maria Bond, director of community relations, said during the spring semester of 2021, the state provided for more flexibility for quarantine in certain circumstances.
“We began using that flexibility at that time and continue to do so,” she said.
They’ve been allowing students to return on day eight under certain circumstances as allowable by state health officials. The district has been offering COVID rapid antigen (Binax) testing in schools for parents who choose to take advantage on day eight.
Bond said they are currently working under the health and safety protocol linked on their website, www.mvcsc.k12.in.us/covid. Additional information can be found there. It is subject to change when guidance changes from the Hancock County Health Department and Indiana Department of Health.
Officials with Greenfield-Central and Eastern Hancock schools are sticking with the 14-day quarantine for all students and staff exposed to a positive COVID-19 case.
Greenfield-Central Superintendent Harold Olin released a statement Thursday afternoon:
“We are having regular dialogue with the Hancock County Health Department and the other county school officials. We are all trying to balance student safety and student learning. We know that students learn best when they are on-site with us. We also know (from an epidemiology standpoint), that the 14-day quarantine period for close contacts is optimal. All of that being said, we may need to make compromises on both fronts. It is likely that we will make some adjustments to our quarantine/exclusion periods in the future.”
George Philhower, superintendent of Eastern Hancock schools, said all students are currently required to quarantine for 14 days if they are identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive, regardless of vaccination status or whether they’d been wearing a mask at school.
“It gets really difficult to implement the things that you have to do if a kid comes back before those 14 days,” like requiring a student who may have been a close contact but then tested negative to sit alone at lunch for their first few days back at school, he said.
Philhower added that the same guidance will generally apply to teachers and other staff members, but the corporation may consider allowing teachers to return earlier on a case-by-case basis since it will be easier for them to follow proper social distancing protocols.
The full list of quarantine options for SH students and staff can be found on the district’s website at www.newpal.k12.in.us.
Jessica Karins and Mitchell Kirk of the Daily Reporter staff contributed to this report.
