As you may have seen in news reports last week, the California Department of Public Health has updated its protocols for people who test positive for COVID-19, including students and staff in schools. As it has throughout the pandemic, Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) will align its COVID protocols with those of the state.
What does that mean for the AUSD community? Under the old protocols, students and staff had to isolate for five days if they tested positive and could then return only if their symptoms were improving and they had been fever-free for at least 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medication).
Under the new protocols, students who test positive and have symptoms stay home only until their symptoms are improving and they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours. That is, there is no mandated isolation period. Staff stay home at least 24 hours and then return when their symptoms are improving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours. Students and staff who test positive but have no symptoms do not have to isolate at all, but both symptomatic and asymptomatic people who test positive should mask for 10 days when they are around other people.
The new changes reflect public health experts’ beliefs that the general population has developed greater immunity to the virus (due to vaccinations and natural infection), the virus is having a diminishing impact, and it can be treated by readily available medications.
AUSD continues to update its COVID-19 Dashboard at least once a week so that the community can monitor the number of reported cases we have across our schools. We continue to provide tests and masks to all staff who need them, as mandated under Cal/OSHA.
Audit reports
In other news, at its January 9 meeting, the Board of Education voted to approve two independent audit reports for the 2022-23 school year.
The first audit report gave AUSD a “clean opinion” on its 2022-23 financial statements, meaning the auditors found no issues with AUSD’s accounting policies and practices, communications, projections, compliance, decision-making, or communications.
The second report gave AUSD a “clean opinion” on its management of Measures I and B (AUSD facility bonds).
At its January 23 meeting, the Board heard presentations on how Governor Newsom’s proposed budget will affect AUSD finances, the 2022-23 parcel tax annual reports, and the state-mandated Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP). ELOP is an afterschool program that was implemented last year.
Agendas, video, and minutes for each Board of Education meeting are available online at Agendas & Minutes – Alameda Unified School District.
Susan Davis is the Senior Manager of Community Affairs for the Alameda Unified School District. Reach her at [email protected].
