The district continues to investigate this issue, and hopes to make a final decision by Friday, March 11th so our families have time to prepare (although a decision could come sooner).  As was mentioned in the last website update on this topic on February 14th, since the beginning of the pandemic we have strived to protect in-person instruction for our students/families, and followed local and state requirements.    If the recommendation of OHA is to strongly advise and not require, then that is what I expect I will implement here in Fern Ridge.  We will strongly advise, not require. 

Why can’t we just make a decision today?  The single biggest reason is that Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) have not provided final guidelines regarding what the quarantine/isolation/contract tracing requirements are that schools will be REQUIRED to follow.  A meeting was to occur late yesterday between ODE and the superintendents around the state to provide an update, but that meeting was delayed.  For example, we currently have every staff member vaccinated (without a doubt that has allowed us to maintain in-person instruction throughout the school year), and a high percent of our teachers have received a booster, and are thus “Up to Date”.  The current OHA/ODE requirement is that if a staff member is “up to date” on their vaccination that they do not have to isolate/quarantine when they are a “close contact” unless they become ill.  If that were to change, and in an environment that has “optional masking,” staff members were required to quarantine regardless of vaccination status, then it would essentially stop in-person instruction.  We would not be able to provide a consistent in-person option.

Conversations have occurred at every building on this topic over the last week or two to gather staff input.  I have a meeting this afternoon with association leadership to discuss this as well.  We are on track and slowly getting prepared for a possible change.  A couple things to note:

• The requirement for masks on transportation is a Federal one, that is set to expire March 18th.  If it is extended, and our district goes to an optional masking environment, masks will still be required on the school bus.
• If we go to an optional masking environment, there may be some instances where masks ARE still required for staff and students.  For example:  In the health room when a student is experiencing symptoms.
• Finally, in an optional masking environment, FAR more students will be required to quarantine, as any student that is not-vaccinated, or any staff member who is not “Up to Date” will need to quarantine/isolate.  This will require us to really focus and double down on all of our other safety protocols, such as hand washing, ventilation system effectiveness, distancing, cohorting, etc..  The single biggest help however, has always been, and will continue to be, staying home if you are sick!

I will continue to provide updates as we get more information.  As always if you have questions, or would just like to share your thoughts, feel free to reach out.

This post is intended to provide our community with an update on the processes that will be undertaken between now and the end of March, prior to coming to a decision regarding making masking optional in our schools.  First, to those in the community frustrated with the continued mask requirements in public schools and the ongoing response to the pandemic, and the burdens placed on our children: We hear you! Many district employees not only empathize with this position but fully support it.  To those in the community with concerns regarding making masking optional, and the reduction of any of the current safety protocols that are put in place to ensure the safety of each member of our school community:  We hear you!  Many district employees not only empathize with this position but fully support it.

With that being said, since the start of the pandemic, we have followed all public health requirements and guidance, with our primary goal being to maintain in-person instruction.  We have been fortunate that so far in the 21-22 school year we have not lost any in-person school days due to the pandemic!  We understand that when decisions are made, they affect families, students, and staff members differently.  We will continue to try to do our best to support ALL students in our district moving forward.

Last week, a path was described by Oregon Health Authority (OHA) that could remove not only the statewide indoor mask mandate, but the K-12 schools mask mandate.  While there are a lot of details, information to share, and impacts that need to be problem solved as a result of such a change.  I would expect we will do as we have always done, and follow the recommendations.  If the recommendation of OHA is to strongly advise and not require, then that is what I expect I will implement here in Fern Ridge.  We will strongly advise, not require.  If the district moves to this, it will impact families differently, just as the mask mandate has.  I wanted to share this information as soon as possible so everyone will have time to prepare for the potential change.  I will also emphasize that it is impossible to make a final decision at this time, as we are 6 weeks away, and much needs to be done over the course of the next 6 weeks before this move can occur.  That would include:

• THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE CHANGES: The information being put out by Oregon Department of Education is currently being reviewed, and reviewed again, by district staff. The most current information regarding the mask mandate that has been put out by OHA can be found at this link:  CLICK HERE.
• EDUCATE:
  • Ensure everyone is fully informed in regards to the fact that if masks are optional in school, MORE STUDENTS will be forced to isolate and or quarantine as the result of being a close contact. Currently, we are able to operate as only having close contacts at lunchtime and athletics.  When masking becomes recommended and not required, we have to follow quarantine/isolation requirements.
  • Ensure everyone is fully informed in regards to the fact that Lane County Public Health plays a role in this decision, and retains ultimate authority if they want to mandate something as they are a “local official.” As I have done since the start of the pandemic, we will advocate for local control.
  • Ensure everyone understands that as conditions change, outbreaks occur, etc… we could return to requiring masks even if we go to optional masking on March 31st.
  • While it has been critical throughout the pandemic, it will be even MORE CRITICAL that parents keep their students home when they are sick.
• Input from staff: We will be informally talking with all our staff in the coming weeks to get their thoughts on such a change.
• Input from Parents/Community: The various ways to provide input include:
  • Attend monthly community Q and A: The Q and A’s occur from 5:30-6:00 on board meeting nights.  The next two are Feb 28^th and March 21^st.  The zoom link is: https://fernridge-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/88212696504#success
  • Submit comments at a board meeting: The links to the “Public Comment Policy” and the “Intent to Speak form” can be found within this post:  https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/2022/02/09/community-questions-and-voices/
  • Email Supt. Carpenter at: gcarpenter@fernridge.k12.or.us
  • Call Supt. Carpenter @ 541-935-2253 to provide input, or to set up an in-person meeting.

As we continue to work through this in the days to come, updates will be posted on the website whenever appropriate.

A potential date has been set for the end of the statewide indoor mask mandate, as well as potentially for K-12 schools.

Starting March 31st, after Spring Break, assuming hospitalizations are where the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) modeling has predicted, each school district in cooperation with local public health authorities will be given the responsibility to determine masking requirements for its students, staff, and school volunteers.  All current District COVID protocols are still in place and will continue through March.  

Next Steps:

• The decisions on our path forward will take some time.  Please understand we just received this news today, and there is a lot to digest.
• Over the next several weeks, I will be working with our staff, families, and school board to determine the best course of action.
• Please continue to reinforce health and safety protocols.  The Omicron variant of COVID has not yet reached its peak in Lane County and we hope to be able to continue to keep our schools open, and as many students attending as possible.

Good news:  It is good news that the OHA believes the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID, and the number of hospitalizations, will drop significantly by the end of March.  It is good news that control is being given to local districts, as each school district, city/county is different.

Plans continue to change, sometimes with little notice.  The last two years have confirmed that uncertainty is the one thing we can count on.  Your continued patience and flexibility is essential in helping to keep our kids in school.  I will provide updates for you as soon as there is news to share.  Feel free to reach out to me with questions but be aware that I may have more questions than answers at this moment.

Gary E. Carpenter, Jr.

Superintendent, FRSD.

Tonight’s community Q & A with Superintendent Carpenter will be held from 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm.  There will be 5 – 10 minutes of information shared followed by approximately 20 minutes of time for those in attendance to type questions in the chat.

Here’s the zoom link to connect with tonight’s session: https://fernridge-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/88212696504

Thank you to all of our families that were in our facilities after school hours Friday night and over the weekend for basketball.

At our home basketball game Friday night, we had the vast majority of fans doing what they need to do to allow us to continue to offer indoor athletics this winter.  In addition, I visited TSP games this weekend and compliance was excellent.  If we continue to wear masks, and wear them appropriately, it will be a tremendous help in regards to allowing the District to continue to offer these opportunities over the next several weeks.

With Spring sports occurring outside, the restrictions and requirements will be much less for track, softball and baseball.  We look forward to not having to enforce as many protocols, with our only primary mitigation being to encourage and enforce social distancing as best as we can.  Thank you again for your willingness to do what we needed to do this weekend.  Please continue to do so in the coming weeks.

Finally, I also wanted to take a minute to thank the NUMEROUS volunteers that give lots of hours to youth sports throughout our community in order to afford our youth these important experiences.

A professional pest management company will be applying an approved, low impact herbicide to planter beds at each school over the weekend of January 22, 2022.  The application is intended to discourage new weed growth in those areas.

In accordance with state law, signage will be posted at each site with contact information and re-entry times.

The district remains committed to doing everything possible to provide indoor athletics for our students this Winter, however, we need support from the community if athletics are going to continue.  Below are brief updates regarding athletics in FRSD, addressing both EHS (district-funded athletics) as well as youth athletics that use our facilities (TSP)

EHS ATHLETICS:  After a 5 day pause, our boys and girls basketball teams are back practicing and competing.  Wrestling continues as well.  Many districts throughout Oregon have either paused, halted all together, stopped allowing spectators, or limited spectators.  At this point, all we are asking in Fern Ridge, is that folks attending our games are 100% compliant with the masking requirement, that we social distance, and do not eat in the stands.  If we can continue to do that, we will stay the course.  If fans are not in compliance with this we will make announcements at the game.  I will not be asking staff that are supervising to go into the stands and confront individuals who are not in compliance.  If it is reported that we have fans not wearing masks, we will simply need to move to limiting the number of fans attending, not allow fans in our gyms, or halt athletics altogether.

TSP ATHLETICS:  We continue to be committed to allowing TSP to utilize our gyms and provide important opportunities for activity to our students.  However, following masking protocols must improve in our gyms on the weekends.  In Eugene 4J, Kidsports/YMCA youth athletics are not allowed in any gyms yet this year.  In Springfield, spectators are limited.  We are doing everything we can to continue to offer this in FRSD, however absent significant improvement in regards to wearing masks in our gyms, we will pause TSP games after this weekend.

Following these protocols helps ensure we can maintain in-person instruction.  Each day this week we have had between 10 and 20 staff out who need to be home with their students who have tested positive or were close contacts, were close contacts themselves (and have not been boosted—which is the new requirement), or have tested positive. Having gyms full of our students and parents un-masked, whether at EHS athletic events, or on a Saturday/Sunday with youth sports, impacts our staff greatly, and increases the likelihood we may need to pause in-person instruction, like numerous schools and districts across the state have already done.  Please help us keep our schools open.

Finally, a big thank-you to all the parents and community members that ARE following all of our safety protocols each and every time they visit a campus!

Below are two links that describe some of the new CDC recommendations around boosters and isolation/quarantine periods.  As I mentioned yesterday, we are currently seeing a spike in cases in our school community, more than we have seen at anytime during the pandemic.

An additional important tip/piece of guidance to share is this:  If your student has symptoms, PLEASE get them tested.  If the test is positive, they would need to isolate for at least 5 days (and fever free with no primary symptoms for 24hrs). Following their isolation from a positive case of COVID,  they would NOT need to quarantine if they were a close contact for the next 90 days (following CDC/OHA recommendations).

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0105-Booster-Shot.html

CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC

Winter weather/road conditions: Our transportation provider has just driven the highest elevation routes.  At this time there is NO need to adjust our release time or routes this afternoon, as long as the temperature stays above freezing.

Please follow this page for any updates in the morning. If there is any kind of delay, routes get moved to “snow routes”, or school is closed, we try to make that decision by 6:30 AM and all information will be shared here, as well as “Superintendent Carpenter Facebook.”

For additional information on bus routes and times, please visit our transportation page.

Last week, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) had two substantive updates to share with schools.

The first was a change to the K-12 face covering rule (OAR 333-019-1015).  This update revised the statewide outdoor face covering requirements.

The revisions have removed the outdoor face covering requirement for K-12 settings.  This will mostly effect district athletics and other organizations that use district facilities for outside events, such as TSP sports and the upcoming tree lighting.

While individual schools/districts  may continue to require students and staff to wear face coverings during outdoor activities, here in FRSD we will continue to operate as we have since the beginning of the pandemic.  That is to say we will follow all mandates, administrative rules and other public health recommendations, but not go above and beyond the requirements absent some specific local metric or need to do so (such as case rates).

The second change was to reduce the quarantine period from 14 days to 10 days for students and staff that are close contacts.

Lane County Public Health is also looking at adopting a new “test to stay” option that is being recommended as an additional mitigation layer that will allow unvaccinated students and staff to maximize days spent in school learning.  As soon as this becomes an option we will share more information here.  This “test to stay  option” is only allowed for close contacts who were exposed in a school setting.  It is not allowed for exposures outside of school, or during athletics.  This process could/would allow unvaccinated asymptomatic individuals who were exposed, to be tested twice during the 7 days following the exposure, and NOT have to quarantine.