COVID-19 Information & Updates
Click here for a PDF Version of the Letter Below
Date: 04.06.2022
To: Washington State Board of Health
From: Barry DePaoli, Superintendent Lake Chelan School District
RE: State Vaccine Mandate
Dear Board Members:
I am writing to strongly encourage you to accept the TAG workgroup’s recent recommendation to NOT adopt a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for school-age children.
Similar to many communities across our state, Chelan has experienced divisiveness as a result of disagreements that arose due to mitigation measures imposed over the course of the pandemic. A new vaccination mandate will only serve to further disrupt an educational environment already dramatically impacted by the pandemic.
During the recent legislative session, the legislature recognized the enrollment losses as a result of the pandemic.
A new vaccination mandate for the upcoming school year will further contribute to declining enrollment in our school district and also contribute to increasing the number of students whose social, emotional, and academic progress is impacted.
At this point in time, parents maintain the choice and responsibility to have their children vaccinated or not. I believe that parents want what is best for their children and the COVID-19 vaccine is readily available for those who choose to receive it.
Please allow more time for the COVID-19 vaccination for school-age children and younger to be studied before making the vaccine mandatory. This will go a long way to heal our community and rebuild trust amongst the patrons of our school district as well as districts across our state.
Respectfully,
Barry P. DePaoli,
Superintendent, Lake Chelan School District
Please test before coming in to school or getting on the bus. Click on the links below for some resources on where to get tested and/or free at-home tests, that you could obtain to have on hand in case you or your student becomes ill. Please look at the Decision Tree further down on this page, from the Washington State Department of Health, to see if your child should stay home.
COVIDtests.gov- Free At-Home COVID Tests
Chelan Douglas Health District- Free Tests & Covid Information
Washington State Department of Health- Free Testing Info, Including At-Home Kits
TEST TO STAY GUIDELINES: 2021-22
A. Unvaccinated, Asymptomatic Close Contacts:
Guidelines in order for a non-vaccinated, asymptomatic close contact to come to school are as follows:
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- Daily attestation by the parent/guardian that the student is asymptomatic
- Daily temperature checks performed at school
- Negative COVID-19 test on day 1 of being identified as a close contact
- Negative COVID test on day 3 after exposure
- Negative COVID test on day 5 after exposure
- Negative COVID test on day 7 after exposure
Parents agree that the student will follow a modified quarantine routine, meaning that the student will not participate in any extracurricular activities, athletics, and other activities outside of their home (i.e., scouts, music lessons, etc.) through until day 7. This includes before and after school child care.
Note: Students whose parents do not agree to the testing outlined above are not eligible for the modified quarantine.
Students with mask waivers are not eligible for the modified quarantine.
B. Unvaccinated symptomatic close contacts
Students who are symptomatic must be tested for COVID-19 and are not eligible for the modified quarantine routine unless they receive a documented negative test result after symptom onset.
C. Students who test positive
If a student tests positive for Covid 19 at any time, they must isolate at home as per Chelan Douglas Health District (CDHD) guidance.
1. Fully Vaccinated Students
Fully vaccinated close contacts who remain asymptomatic are not required to quarantine or participate in the Test to Stay program as per CDHD guidelines. However, they should be tested for COVID 19 3-5 days after exposure. Fully vaccinated close contacts who develop symptoms are required to isolate and be tested for COVID-19.
LCSD COVID-19 Dashboard
Click on the image for the spreadsheet version
Quarantine Protocol
Click on the links & photos below for PDF versions
Click on the link below for the Chelan-Douglas Health District COVID19 website. On their website, you can see general information, symptoms, incident rates per county and individual cities.
Additional COVID-19 Resources:
Columbia Valley Community Health
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