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FCPS officials announce COVID-19 policy changes

Fayette County Public Schools





Fayette County Public School students and staff placed in quarantine by the health department due to out-of-school COVID exposure will have the option to Test-to-Stay-in-School, as part of new guidelines taking effect next week. WUKY’s Arlo Barnette reports.

FCPS is adjusting its policies after the state Department for Public Health released new guidelines Monday for COVID and schools. Preventative measures are mostly staying the same, including universal masking, enhanced cleaning, staying home if symptomatic, and encouraging vaccination.

But the district’s Test-to-Stay program will now be available to all asymptomatic students and staff regardless of where they were exposed. Families will be notified if someone in the classroom has tested positive and encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms and test on days 5 to 7, but students and staff won’t be quarantined for in-school exposure. Isolation orders for COVID-positive people will continue to be followed.

At a Friday news conference Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said the goal is to keep kids on campus, but decisions to go remote will be made school-by-school.

In the event of NTI, Liggins said they have enough laptops for every student and limited take-home wifi hotspots are available.

Starting Wednesday, voluntary testing will be available at all schools before classes start on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Testing for anyone else is available at the old Herald-Leader building and the FCPS Warehouse.