Dear Fayette County Public Schools Families:
Students and staff are already back on campus at four of our schools, and we are excited to welcome everyone else for the first day of instruction one week from today, on Wednesday, August 10.
While families are collecting school supplies and selecting first-day outfits, I wanted to provide an update on the precautionary measures that will be in place this year related to COVID-19. With the expanded availability of vaccines to everyone six months of age and older, and the development of anti-viral medications to treat COVID-19, we have entered a new phase in the pandemic.
FCPS continues to partner with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to regularly review the current status of the virus in our community and discuss the district's health and safety procedures. At this time, the number of new cases and new hospitalizations have placed Fayette County back into the red according to the community levels published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Medical experts advise that while our community is in the red you should protect yourself and others by wearing a mask while indoors or in crowds, monitoring yourself for symptoms, staying home when you're sick, and getting tested for COVID-19. Our district strongly recommends everyone follow these precautions.
This email outlines our procedures and expectations for the 2022-23 school year and will remain in place unless we announce otherwise.
Since COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future, we have to integrate it into how we operate, rather than allowing it to be our primary focus. This year we are moving away from daily data reports, weekly email updates, and a revolving door of re-evaluating procedures and issuing new guidance.
Our top priority remains the health and well-being of our students, employees, and families, even as we shift the emphasis away from mandates toward individual choice and accountability. Staying home when you are sick is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During this time of rising cases, even if you think "it's just allergies," please take an at-home test before heading out the door that morning.
You know your children and individual family circumstances best, and we encourage you to make healthy, well-informed decisions.
Please be well and take care of each other, DL
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