- Federal Way Public Schools
- COVID-19 Resources and Information
- Health and Safety Guidelines for 2022-23 School Year
Reopening Plans and Learning Resources
Health and Safety Guidelines for the 2022-23 School Year
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Federal Way Public Schools has consistently followed the guidance of public health experts in order to create a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff, and we will continue to follow the guidance put forth by Washington State Department of Health and Public Health - Seattle and King County.
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Masks will be optional in our school buildings and on our school buses. Staff and students will have the choice to wear a mask at school, with the expectation that others’ choices will be respected. We will support and honor all individual choices.
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Masks will still be required in the health room, as this is considered a health care setting.
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Masks are recommended indoors facility-wide when there are widespread outbreaks or cases at a school.
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When the CDC COVID-19 Community Level is high, the CDC recommends universal indoor masking in schools.
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Families of students who are immunocompromised, medically fragile, and/or otherwise at high risk for severe disease should consult their health care provider about whether to continue wearing well-fitted masks.
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Air purifiers with HEPA filters will remain in place in classrooms and other common areas.
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Physical distancing will continue -where possible and practical.
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Regular cleaning and disinfecting protocols will continue.
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Information about COVID-19 cases in each school and across the district will continue to be available on our COVID-19 Data Dashboard: https://www.fwps.org/Page/8362
Additional health and safety protocols are available below.
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Masks
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Masks are optional in our school buildings and on our school buses. Staff and students will have the choice to wear a mask at school, with the expectation that others’ choices will be respected.
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Masks are recommended indoors facility-wide when there are widespread outbreaks or cases at a school.
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When the CDC COVID-19 Community Level is high, CDC recommends universal indoor masking in schools.
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Masks will still be required in the health room, as this is considered a health care setting.
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Families of students who are immunocompromised, medically fragile, and/or otherwise high risk for severe disease should consult their health care provider about whether to continue wearing well-fitted masks.
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Tight-fitting masks should continue to be worn day 6-10 when returning to school after their 5-day isolation period
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Monitoring for Symptoms and Testing in Schools
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All staff and scholars who have symptoms of COVID-19 are required to stay home and should get tested and/or see a health care provider.
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Staff and scholars who report or develop COVID-19 like symptoms at school will be immediately isolated from others and provided a Rapid Antigen test or before being sent home. PCR tests are also available to scholars.
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Testing will continue to be provided for scholars who become symptomatic at school or are identified as a close contact to someone positive for COVID-19.
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Mobile testing sites at Sacajawea Middle School through our partnership with Curative will also continue to be available for scholars, staff, families, and community who develop symptoms outside of school. For more information or to register for an appointment, please visit https://curative.com/.
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Responding to COVID-19 Cases
Students Who are Potentially Exposed to COVID-19
Scholars and staff who are potentially exposed to COVID-19 will no longer be required to quarantine. Regardless of vaccination status, staff and students who are potentially exposed to COVID-19 should:
- Monitor for symptoms AND,
- Test as soon as possible after exposure and then repeat testing every 24-48 hours through at least the first 5 days after exposure AND,
- Scholars and staff who spend time indoors with individuals at risk of getting very sick with COVID-19 should wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after exposure.
Testing will continue to be available at your child’s school with parent consent.
Students Who Test Positive for COVID-19
Staff and scholars who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate for at least 5 full days. After day 5, they can return to school if:
- Their symptoms have improved, or they are asymptomatic AND they are without a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- They choose to wear a well-fitted mask for days 6-10 or test negative with an antigen or an at-home test any day after day 5.
- If an individual is unable to wear a well-fitting mask, they should continue to isolate for a full 10 days.
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Ventilation
Air Purifiers with HEPA filters will remain in place in classrooms and other common areas.
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Cleaning & Disinfecting
FWPS has a thorough cleaning and disinfecting plan aligned to Department of Health and CDC guidelines. High touch point areas like door handles, bathrooms, water fountains will be disinfected throughout the day, and all locations will be cleaned with soap and water every night. Outdoor areas do not require disinfection; recess equipment will be cleaned and disinfected if contaminated with blood, feces, or vomit.
Classrooms will be provided with soap and water mixtures to clean desktops during the day as needed as well as between periods in middle school and high school.
