Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will require all students and staff to wear masks beginning Monday, August 16 indoors, regardless of vaccination status.  A video released Friday (see above link) provides a message from Superintendent Yvonne Stokes.

“I know this will not make everyone happy, but it is my goal to protect our students and staff and keep our schools open and running,” Dr. Stokes says in the video.

HSE Schools have tracked 80 positive cases in the student population and more than 500 students have been notified as being a close contact, according to Dr. Stokes.

Stokes also says a change is coming on the time frames for quarantines, generally reducing the number of days.

Below is the full statement from Dr. Stokes:

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We have made it through a partial and  first full week of the new school year, and I believe I speak for most for when I say — the return of students to our buildings has given us a renewed sense of purpose and appreciation to work alongside you and your family once again.

I also would like to thank you for your understanding and patience as we ramped up operations following a year without being at full capacity. Last year was tough, and we had hoped this year would be as close to pre-COVID times for our students and staff as possible. Unfortunately, we are still living in a pandemic.

As you know, our community and state are experiencing an increase in COVID-positive cases due the highly contagious, circulating Delta variant. Our schools are not immune to this trend. Since classes began, we have tracked 80 positive cases in our student population and more than 500 students have been notified as being a close contact.

Due to the spike in numbers and the updated guidance from healthcare officials, beginning on Monday, August 16, masks will be required for all students and staff, K through 12, when indoors during the school day, regardless of vaccination status. 

I know this will not make everyone happy, but it is my goal to protect our students and staff and keep our schools open and running.

This change is reflective of what local and state health departments have messaged to schools.

A benefit of universal masking is that it will allow us to limit the number of students and staff quarantined by contact tracing at 3-feet versus at 6-feet in the classroom-setting only.

Another change we are making is reducing the length of quarantine for unvaccinated students and staff. The CDC gives options for reduced quarantine which include:

• 10-day quarantine with return to school on day 11, or
• 7-day quarantine with a return to school on day 8, if a negative PCR test was obtained on day 5, 6 or 7 from date of exposure. (Result must be given to school nurse ​prior to student’s return to school.)

In both circumstances, individuals will need to be symptom-free and will also need to maintain distancing and increase personal hygiene for the full the 14 days.

Please remember, these changes are what we believe will keep our students learning in-person, in their classrooms — and that is our goal.

You can review these updates and more in our Return to In-person Instruction Plan, which can be downloaded from our website.