COVID-19 Information
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COVID-19 Information Page Goal
This page was created to help BCSC families answer questions they may have related to COVID-19. Specific questions related to individual students should be directed to the student's school nurse. Contact information for each nurse can be found on each individual school's website.
Other websites that you may want to visit related to COVID-19 include: Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Indiana Department of Health, and the COVID-19 Community Task Force. You can also view the most updated BCSC reopening plan here.
District Information
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From a mobile device:
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General Information
- Students will attend school in-person, every school day and schools will be at full capacity, as in a normal school year.
- Masks are mandatory in all BCSC buildings for staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
- Masks will be required on buses per federal mandate.
- Visitors are welcome in BCSC schools with principal permission and are required to adhere to the mask requirement. Joining students for lunch is not permitted.
- Physical distancing will be used to the greatest degree possible and areas in our buildings will be maximized for spacing.
- BCSC will continue athletics and performing arts programming, with guidance from the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the Indiana State School Music Association.
- Field trips will be approved on a case by case basis and restrictions in the destination area must be followed.
- Water fountains are closed in all BCSC buildings, but touchless water bottle filling stations are available. It is recommended that students bring a water bottle with them to school each day.
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Columbus Virtual Pathway (CVP)
- BCSC offers a virtual learning path for students K-12. For more information on the Columbus Virtual Pathway, please visit their website. Any student in the pathway wishing to return to traditional school must wait until the break between semesters and contact their home school for additional instructions.
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Bus Transportation
Per federal order, masks are required on buses for students and drivers.
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Mitigation Strategies
- Sanitizing and cleaning schedules will be utilized for the cafeteria, restrooms and high touch surfaces.
- Hand sanitizer will be accessible throughout all facilities and frequent use is recommended.
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Handwashing
- Hand sanitizer will be accessible throughout all facilities and frequent use is recommended.
- Students and staff members are encouraged to frequently wash hands.
- Students will be provided specific opportunities to hand wash for at least 20 seconds with soap before and after eating, recess, and after using the restroom
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Cafeteria / Recess
- The cafeteria will be used during lunch along with alternate spaces where available.
- Individual plated meals will be provided and other strategies also utilized to reduce time waiting in line to the extent possible.
- Students are not required to wear a mask when outside during recess time.
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COVID-19 Symptoms
- Parent COVID-19 Daily Screening Tool (English) (Spanish) (Burmese) (French Creole) (updated 2/08/21)
- When an individual is experiencing symptoms they should notify the school and stay home. There are three options to be cleared to return to school.
- Seek COVID-19 testing, submit results to the school nurse.
- See a healthcare provider and have an alternate diagnosis for the symptoms. Submit the note (official documentation from the provider) with the return date to the school nurse.
- Return to school/work on day 11 after symptoms have resolved and the individual is fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.
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Pending Test Information
What to do if you or someone in your household has a pending COVID-19 test?
- An individual awaiting COVID-19 test results cannot return to school until results are confirmed. The school nurse will verify the results before returning to school.
- Siblings attending BCSC should stay home from school while awaiting results. If the results are positive, siblings will be close contacts and quarantine begins.
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Close Contact Information
- A close contact is defined as anyone in a classroom setting who was within 3 feet for at least 15 minutes of a COVID positive test individual.
- During lunch and performing arts (choir, band, etc.), a close contact will be within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes of a COVID positive indivivual.
- The school will notify parents/guardians if their child is a close contact to a confirmed positive COVID-19 case. The name of the student with the positive case will not be provided per privacy laws.
- Seating charts will be maintained in classrooms, cafeterias, and school buses so that contact tracing can be conducted.
- Individuals identified as a close contact who have been COVID-19 positive within the past 90 days are not required to quarantine if they do not have any symptoms. The results of that test should be submitted to the school nurse to verify.
- Options for identified close contacts returning to school from quarantine for individuals without symptoms are as follows:
- Your child can return on day 11 after a 10-day quarantine as long as remaining asymptomatic.
- Your child can return immediately if you provide proof of full vaccination to the school.
- Proof of COVID-19 positive test in the past 90 days.
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When To Return To School After COVID Symptoms
Negative Test
- With a negative test for COVID-19, the individual may return to school once symptoms have resolved and the individual is fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
- The parents/guardians will need to submit the results of the test to the school nurse.
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Vaccination Status
- Fully vaccinated (exposure occurred 2 weeks after the final dose of the vaccine) close contacts, free of any COVID symptoms are not required to quarantine, if they provide proof of vaccination.
- The individual is still considered a close contact and will be reported to the state as a close contact. However, the individual is not required to quarantine if they remain symptom free.
- Testing is not required. If you choose to test, it is recommended to test on day 5 following the exposure.