March 4, 2022
Dear WSD Community,
We are writing to provide an update on universal masking requirements at our district. Yesterday, State officials and health experts announced that because of lower COVID rates, effective vaccines and treatments, and reduced strain on the healthcare system, Vermont will transition to an endemic approach to managing COVID-19. These changes will be the same for all Vermonters, including students and staff in Vermont schools. Here’s what to expect moving forward in our district:
- The week of March 7-11 masks will still be required for all students and staff.
- Beginning March 14 masks will be optional for everyone on the WSD campus and on school-provided transportation regardless of their vaccination status.
- This is a shift from our previous message about optional masking being considered once our schools had an 80% student vaccination rate. This shift is based on guidance from The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assessment of community COVID levels and follows state-wide Vermont recommendations.
- We want our students, families, and staff to know how important it is to respect everyone’s personal choice to wear or not wear a mask.
- Take-home antigen test kits and PCR surveillance testing will continue to be available for staff and students as long as these programs are supported by the state.
- The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) will be releasing changes that simplify isolation, quarantine and testing guidance. We will share more information on this once it’s available.
We know that changes to Vermont’s COVID response will be felt differently by each member of our community. The WSD Leadership Team and school nurses are here to support students, families and staff through these changes. Students and families can call the WSD COVID hotline (802-556-2243), and staff should contact their administrators with questions or concerns.
Please remember that one mitigating strategy that has not changed is the expectation that staff and students should not come to work while sick. Anyone with even mild COVID symptoms should not come to school, even if they test COVID negative.
As a community, we have been through many health and safety changes over the last two years. Thank you to everyone in our community for working together as we take care of each other and focus on what’s best for our learning community.
Sincerely,
Kevin Dirth, WSD Interim Superintendent and the WSD COVID Response Team
Please take a few minutes to watch this video from WSD Nurse and COVID Co-Coordinator Liz Parris as she explains what this masking guidance means for our district.