COVID-19 Protocols

Belton ISD’s COVID-19 protocols follow guidance from TEA, the CDC and the Bell County Public Health District. All practices are implemented with the intention of creating the safest learning possible for students and staff and the expectation that families will support and adhere to these guidelines.

Reporting

In addition to screening students daily before arrival, families must immediately notify the school in these situations:

• if the student has a lab-confirmed positive test for COVID-19

• if the student has COVID-19 symptoms

• if the student has had close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19

If a student meets the above criteria, families should notify Nurse Grimm at 254-215-4010.

Students who report a COVID-19 lab-confirmed positive test, symptoms or close contact will not be allowed on campus until criteria for returning to school is met (see Criteria for Returning to School). While at home, the student may continue learning with their current assigned teachers/classes as an intermittent remote learner.

Close Contact

Belton ISD is following guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine who is infectious and what deems a “close contact” encounter for exposure purposes.

Individuals are presumed infectious at least 48 hours prior to the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Asymptomatic individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19 are presumed infectious two days prior to the confirming lab test.

Close contact is defined as:

• Being directly exposed to infectious secretions; or

• Being within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes; however, if additional prevention and mitigation measures such as proper face coverings are in place this could affect the determination.

Contact Tracing

If a lab-confirmed positive case is reported, trained Charter Oak staff will conduct investigations to determine who is a close contact. To best support these investigations, Charter Oak may need to be closed for a short period of time to ensure all close contacts are identified.

If this happens, students will receive instruction in an intermittent remote learning environment.

Notification

Charter Oak Administration will notify all close contacts of a lab-confirmed positive case by phone. Parents will be expected to pick up their child within 30 minutes and will receive additional instructions on criteria for returning to school.

Charter Oak teachers, staff and families of all students will be notified of a lab-confirmed positive test by email at regular intervals.

The district will notify Bell County Health District of any reported case.

Criteria for Returning to School

Please reference the following information to know when a student or staff member will be allowed to return to face-to-face At-School Learning.

Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Positive

• Must stay home until ALL of the following criteria are met:

  • 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared &

  • Patient sees improvement in symptoms &

  • 24 hours have passed with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medication

Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms

• Must stay home until ONE of the following criteria are met:

  • 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and patient sees improvement in symptoms and 24 hours have passed with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medication OR

• • Obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis OR

• • Obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing location that comes back negative for COVID-19.

Close Contact with Someone with COVID-19 Symptoms or Lab-Confirmed Positive Test

• Must self-isolate for 14 days from the last day of exposure