December 7, 2020

Dear Families, Students, and Staff,

The CDC recently amended guidelines regarding quarantining and isolating people who are in direct contact and/or have COVID-19 symptoms.  ODH and BCHD will implement the new CDC recommendations.  The hope is to ensure that people will actually quarantine or isolate themselves as ordered by the health department.  This would then reduce the amount of COVID-19 spread, as well as bring people back to their jobs or schools sooner if they meet the criteria.  

TSD has received updated information from the BCHD.  The following protocols will be enacted at TSD:

• Quarantine and isolation may end after 10 days if there are no symptoms, do not live with another person who has tested positive, do not live in a home that has been quarantined, and has met the CDC/ODH recommendations (No symptoms, no fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea)
• On Day 5, 6, or 7, the person takes and receives a negative COVID-19 test result.  The person may end quarantine on day 7 and they may return to school on day 8 when the negative test result is turned into the TSD nurse.  The test must be taken within 48 hours of day 7 to discontinue quarantine .
• If one of the 2 conditions above are not met, the person(s) quarantined or isolated must follow the health department's orders which may be to quarantine or isolate for 14 or more days.

Please note:  6 feet of social distancing, less than 15 minutes of contact, and the wearing of masks MUST occur in order to be eligible for a possible 7 or 10 day return to school per CDC, ODH and BCHD recommendations.

The Talawanda School District, in cooperation with the Butler County Health Department, will make the final decision.

The Talawanda School District wants to keep our schools open to in person learning.  We need your partnership to communicate with us, keep sick students and their siblings home, and follow all protocols so our schools can stay open to in person learning.  Let’s stop the spread of COVID-19 together.

TSD will start implementing these new guidelines effective December 7, 2020.

If you have questions, please contact your school nurse.

Thank you.

Dr. Edward Theroux

Dr. Edward Theroux

Superintendent