To align with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which no longer recommends universal contact tracing for COVID-19 in schools, and after consultation with the Alachua County Health Department and other local medical experts, Alachua County Public Schools will end universal contact tracing for positive COVID-19 cases, effective immediately.
ACPS schools will continue to notify the families of elementary school students if there is a positive case in their child’s classroom. All staff at the school would also be notified. Notifications will go out after the first case is reported in a classroom in any given week, but there will not be another notification for a second case in the same week.
Because middle and high school students have many class changes and interactions throughout the day, schools will notify all families and staff if a student or staff member on their campus tests positive. All schools will continue to send notifications of positive cases within 24 hours.
Under Florida law, schools may not quarantine students or staff based on exposure to COVID-19, unless they show COVID-19 symptoms or test positive. In that case, they should not attend school until:
- They have received a negative test and have no symptoms, or
- Five days have passed since the start of symptoms or positive test result, they have had no fever for 24 hours, and their other symptoms are improving; or
- They receive written permission to return from a qualifying health professional.
Students/staff with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 are strongly encouraged, but not required, to wear a mask for 10 full days when around others.
We are currently receiving very few reports of COVID-19 cases in our schools. However, we will continue to maintain our COVID-19 dashboard at www.sbac.edu/dashboard.
Thank you for everything you have done to protect students and staff, and have a great Spring Break!
