Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is implementing changes to its COVID-19 protocols that will all but eliminate quarantines for close contacts identified at school.
Officials have announced that starting today, all close contacts identified during the school day will remain in school, regardless of vaccination status, unless they have symptoms or are unmasked. Contacts identified during lunch periods do not need to go home as long as there was adult supervision in the cafeteria and masks were put back on after eating.
When a positive case is identified, parents of all students in a classroom will be notified. Testing is recommended five days after exposure to COVID-19.
BCSC guidelines also state that some situations, such as exposure during extracurriculars or at home, may still require quarantines.
“A review of our data indicates that very few of the close contacts identified in the school setting later test positive for COVID-19 (less than 5%),” said school officials. “Given that it is much more likely for close contacts from a home setting to later test positive, these close contacts will still be required to quarantine as the exposure is OUTSIDE the school day.”
An attached flowchart from BCSC states that vaccinated students or staff who are exposed to a positive case outside of school don’t have to quarantine unless they develop symptoms. Unvaccinated individuals must stay home for five days, monitor symptoms and “follow enhanced precautions.”
Additionally, BCSC’s protocol terminology has been changed so that “exposure in a classroom setting” is now “exposure during the school day.” The district defines a school day as beginning when a student steps on a school bus in the morning and ending when they leave one in the afternoon. It does not include extracurriculars.
According to officials, the changes align with the Indiana Department of Health’s revised guidelines and are being implemented following discussion with “internal stakeholder groups” and local medical professionals.
BCSC’s release includes links to flowcharts on quarantine guidelines in both English and Spanish, as well as a lengthy presentation from the state on COVID-19 protocols.
According to the state department of health, quarantine guidance varies based on whether a school has a mask requirement or not.
