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Updated COVID-19 Mitigation Protocols

Last night, the Wauwatosa School Board voted to approve the following revised COVID-19 mitigation protocols:

  • Provide written notification of an in-school COVID-19 exposure and advise the individual (or their parent/guardian) to monitor for symptoms. The Wauwatosa School District will not require quarantine for any exposures (in-school or out of school), and any exposed individual will be allowed to attend school or work. (2nd amendment)
  • Follow the most recent CDC guidelines regarding isolation. A COVID-positive individual is recommended to provide a negative COVID-19 test upon their return to school/work.   
  • Once a school’s internal infection rate reaches level 2 (0.051-1%) or level 1 (<0.05%), proceed with the strongly encouraged masking protocol in that school, as the Board of Education approved on December 13, 2021. 
  • Tosa Tots & JK students will be required to wear masks until 8 weeks after they are eligible for vaccination. (1st amendment)
  • Per current CDC guidelines, when masking is not required, all COVID-positive individuals or those in quarantine may return to school/work after quarantining/isolating for 5 days if the individual wears a mask for the next 5 days (days 6-10). Alternatively, the individual may complete a full 10 day quarantine and return on day 11 without a mask required. 
    • Parents/guardians can choose to have school enforce this additional 5 days of mask wearing or They can choose to keep their student home for a full 10 day quarantine/isolation. Staff members will also have this option. (3rd amendment)
    • This is subject to change based on any modifications made to CDC guidelines.

This decision of the Board of Education is effective immediately. 

Any individual currently in quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure may return to school/work today (Tuesday, January 25, 2022) as long as they do not have any illness symptoms. A COVID test is not required for an individual to return unless they have illness symptoms.

Any individual currently in isolation due to COVID-19 illness should wait for the nursing team to contact them.  Nursing will reach out to all individuals at home with COVID-19 and provide an updated return date.

The Wauwatosa School District will review the internal infection rate of each school on Monday, February 7, 2022. On this date, if the infection rate has been at or below 1% for at least two consecutive weeks at any of our buildings, these eligible schools may transition to level 2 mitigation beginning on February 15, 2022. This period between February 7-14 would serve as a transition time for students and staff, allowing individuals to process the upcoming change to ensure a successful shift on Tuesday, February 15. Afterwards, if positivity rates rise above 1% for two consecutive weeks, that school would return to level 3 protocols until rates fall below 1% for two consecutive weeks.