The health and safety of our students, staff, and families is of utmost importance. The following universal precautions have been developed under Board Policy EBB: Communicable Diseases and utilizes input from the community as well as local, state, and federal health officials. District plans will continue to be updated as the situation evolves. The Board of Education reviews these plans monthly, so please check back regularly for the latest updates.
COVID-19 and its variants continue to be a threat. The Brentwood School District School Board recognizes its responsibility to protect the health of students and employees from the risks posed by COVID-19 and other diseases. The guidance included in this plan will help limit the need for long-term student exclusions from school. Properly following guidelines will help keep students in class. Students aged 5 and up are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and are strongly encouraged to do so.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your building directly or use the contact form on this website.
When students or staff are ill, they should stay home. We want our students in school, but safety is our top priority. As with any absence, students who are gone for extended periods of time will have the opportunity to make up their homework and will be expected to return to school ready and prepared to continue their education when it is safe for them to do so.
Absences will not be held against a student or documented on a student’s record if they are due to documented COVID-19 illness, symptoms, or exclusion.
Parents/Guardians should check for symptoms daily and contact their school if they show signs of having COVID-19. If a student is identified as a close contact or tests positive for COVID-19, they should contact their building immediately by email and phone.
Masks are optional for all students and staff throughout the district (Grades PK-12) with the exception of the following:
In the event any building reaches a 5% positivity rate among students and staff, the building will begin requiring masks for everyone for a minimum of five (5) days. After 5 days, if the numbers have receded, the building may return to mask optional.
Students or staff who return from isolation or exclusion as a result of positive COVID-19 cases will be required to wear masks for five days.
We strongly encourage those who are not fully vaccinated to continue to wear masks, particularly when social distancing is not an option. Please continue reading for more information on vaccines.
Screening at Home:
Families should take temperatures daily before going to school and monitor for any COVID-19 symptoms. Anyone with symptoms or a fever of 100 degrees F or higher should not go to school and should instead contact the school office to report an absence and complete a COVID-19 health screening. Students must be symptom free without the use of medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
Isolation & Exclusion
Per policy EBB, students who: (1) test positive for COVID-19, exhibit symptoms of COVID-19; (2) are awaiting test results; OR (3) meet the definition of a close contact from the CDC, may be excluded from school for the health and safety of students and staff. Students who are excluded will have access to virtual learning opportunities and their absences will not be counted against them.
General Safety & Cleaning
Parents and visitors will have limited access to school campuses and may be asked to complete a self-screening questionnaire.
Schools will follow disinfection guidelines developed by the St. Louis County Department of Health and other agencies to keep classrooms, workspaces, outdoor spaces, and playgrounds clean.
All students and staff will be encouraged to wash and clean their hands regularly.
Handwashing stations with soap and/or hand sanitizer will be available throughout our facilities.
Physical Distancing
Whenever possible, students will be distanced by 3 feet and kept in cohort groups to limit contact between students and adults as much as possible. Social distancing is important to ensure the health and safety of our students and will impact how some courses will be taught and which extracurricular activities students will be able to participate in safely.
District and school staff members are committed to supporting students’ social/emotional wellness and offering resources to ensure students transition back to school smoothly. Support may include social/emotional learning, building relationships, community building activities, and increased access to mental health and wellness services. Families and schools will need to work together to check how students are feeling and assess their individual needs to provide the proper support to students.
Per Policy EBB, the district may exclude individuals from school when there is a high risk of transmission of disease. Students who are excluded have the opportunity to participate in classroom livestreams to continue learning synchronously during their exclusion.
Modified Exclusion
In certain cases, such as the first positive case in a classroom, students in that classroom may continue coming to school under a modified exclusion. These students are asked to carefully monitor their symptoms and are recommended to limit their activities outside of school. Proper usage of face masks helps the district determine whether or not a modified exclusion is possible.
Secondary Exposure
In the event another student tests positive in a classroom already under modified exclusion guidance, students will be asked to follow the district’s five-day exclusion guidance if they are unvaccinated or developing any symptoms. Students who are fully vaccinated and not exhibiting symptoms may continue coming to school as normal. This highlights the importance of having your student fully vaccinated as soon as possible to help keep them in school.
Please note that the district’s contact tracing efforts are based on several factors, including mask usage, vaccination status, and exposure time. As a result, students at the elementary level have a higher chance of being close contacts because they spend most of their day with the same cohort of students. Secondary students have shorter class periods with one another and even those that share a class may not meet the exposure threshold to be identified as a close contact.
Our district staff consistently review these guidelines. When a positive case occurs in a building, that building collaborates with Central Office to determine exclusion dates and when it is safe for a close contact to return. Because each exposure is unique and each student may have a different vaccination status or exposure time, instructions on exclusion may differ from child to child and family to family. While this may seem inconsistent, it is because each case is unique and the guidelines approved by the Board have different recommendations based on these factors. This is why it is important to follow the information shared with you from your school if your student tests positive for COVID-19 or is identified as a close contact.
Below is a flowchart that explains these guidelines. Again, the building will work directly with families to provide instructions in the event of a positive case, modified exclusion, or close contact that requires exclusion from school.
When choosing a mask, look at how well it fits. Gaps can let air with respiratory droplets leak in and out around the edges of the mask. Gaps can be caused by choosing the wrong size or type of mask and when a mask is worn with facial hair.
It is important to check that it fits snugly over your nose, mouth, and chin.
Check for gaps by cupping your hands around the outside edges of the mask.
Make sure no air is flowing from the area near your eyes or from the sides of the mask.
If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath.
If you are wearing a mask: You can cough or sneeze into your mask. Put on a new, clean mask as soon as possible and wash your hands.
If you are not wearing a mask:
Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
Throw used tissues in the trash.
Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Wash your hands often
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
It’s especially important to wash your hands:
Before eating or preparing food
Before touching your face
After using the restroom
After leaving a public place
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After handling your mask
After changing a diaper
After caring for someone sick
After touching animals or pets
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid touchingyour eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Facts About COVID-19 Vaccinations
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. After you’ve been fully vaccinated, you can start to do some things that you had to stop doing because of the pandemic. Key Things to Know
How do I know which sources of COVID-19 vaccine information are accurate?
It can be difficult to know which sources of information you can trust. Learn more about finding credible vaccine information
COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Letter from Pediatricians