2021-2022 COVID-19 FAQs

The information below is provided as a guide by WASD to help assist families with planning for the 2021-2022 school year. Guidance is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The information below is subject to change based on COVID conditions in our schools and community, as well as on any changes in guidance and/or mandates from the organizations listed above.

Are schools fully open in person for the start of the school year? 
Yes. All WASD schools will open in person on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.

 

Is the school district requiring students to wear masks? 
By order of the Pennsylvania Department of Health made on Tuesday, Aug. 31, all staff, faculty, students and visitors in schools across the Commonwealth, including WASD, will be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, effective Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021.

To review the department’s masking order in full, click here

 

Does my child have to wear a mask on the school bus/van? 
Yes. All students must wear a mask on a school bus/van regardless of vaccination status. This is mandated by the federal government. This also applies to all extracurricular transportation (i.e. athletics). 

 

My child attends WASD and is vaccinated. I provided documentation to the school. A student who sits next to him/her in class has tested positive in class. Do they have to quarantine? 
If your child is vaccinated and the school has proof of the vaccination, then your child will not have to quarantine as long as they do not have any symptoms.

 

My child goes to WASD and is not vaccinated, but wears a mask. If a student in their class tests positive for COVID-19, will they need to quarantine? 
If a student is identified as a primary contact, but was wearing a mask, they may not need to quarantine based on the latest CDC guidelines. Each case will be reviewed following current CDC guidelines.

 

Is the district still screening students who were absent from school for a day or more? 
No, the district will not be screening students each day if they have been absent from school. We are asking parents to screen their children at home each day for symptoms before sending them to school. If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, please do not send them to school and contact your family physician.

 

What will happen if my child has COVID-19 symptoms while at school and is screened by the nurse? 
If a student is exhibiting two (2) or more COVID-19 symptoms, they will be required to wear a mask and will be placed in the isolation room until they can be picked up from school.* Before returning to school, they will need either a negative COVID test or a doctor’s note indicating they can return. (This follows CDC guidance on symptoms.)

* This also applies to vaccinated students.

 

Will the district be holding vaccination clinics at schools for students? 
No. The district will share information on its social media channels for families interested in getting their child/children vaccinated. We will not be holding them in our schools.

 

Will the school district be completing its own COVID-19 testing on students or staff? 
No. The school district will not be testing students in the school setting.

 

Is the school district still quarantining students and completing contact tracing for COVID-19 cases?  
Yes. We will follow the latest CDC guidance on contact tracing and quarantines when COVID-19 cases occur in our schools or during extracurricular activities. Any student who is exposed to a COVID-19 along with any student or staff member under six feet for 15 minutes or more will have to quarantine.

Exceptions:
•   A student is 14 days post being fully vaccinated and is asymptomatic.*
•   Student has had a documented positive COVID-19 test in the past 90 days and is
    asymptomatic.
•   If a student is identified as a primary contact, but was wearing a mask, they may not
    need to quarantine based on CDC guidelines. Each case will be reviewed following
    current CDC guidelines.

District must have evidence on file.

 

If my child is quarantined from school, how will they complete school work? 
School work will be provided by the teachers for students to complete while they are quarantined at home. It is expected all work will be completed. Students who are quarantined due to a case in school will not be marked as absent as long as they complete the assigned work.

 

If my child is quarantined, when can they return to school? 
For the start of the 2021-2022 school year, there are two options for WASD students to return to school following a COVID-19 exposure from which they may need to quarantine. Option 1 will allow families to reduce the quarantine period for their child from 10 days to seven days, allowing them to return to school sooner. Option 2 is a 10-day, full quarantine period.*

* Please see our Quarantines and Contact Tracing document for more information.

 

Will schools close for a period of time if COVID-19 cases start to rise in a school? 
Any decisions on closing any and/or all schools will be made in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and guidelines issued from PDE.

 

How will my child be educated if a school or schools close due to cases? 
If a school or the whole district has to close due to COVID cases, then students will transition to remote learning using the 1:1 device provided to each student. With our investment in remote learning devices and online learning platform, the district can pivot overnight to a remote platform if necessary.


Last updated: Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2021