Dear Hazelwood School District Community, 

On August 2, 2022, the HSD Board of Education approved changes to the district’s COVID-19 Mitigation Plan. District Administrators worked closely with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to align the new HSD COVID-19 Mitigation Plan with the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels metrics. The district’s and CDC’s COVID-19 measurements are based on low, medium, and high levels of COVID-19 transmissions. Community Levels are determined by the following three indicators: 

1. New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days.
2. The percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.
3. Total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.

Below are a few key highlights from the plan that goes into effect, August 4, 2022. To review the entire HSD COVID-19 Mitigation Plan, visit the district’s website. 

• The district is moving to a mask-recommended environment in all district buildings and on district transportation. All students and employees returning from isolation or quarantine are required to mask for a minimum of five days. If unable to mask, the employee or student will need to remain out of their building for the full 10 days.
  
  
• Once the school receives a report of a positive COVID-19 case, an email will be sent to school families by the building administrators notifying them of the positive case. This email will also remind parents to continue to monitor their students for symptoms, keep their students at home if they are sick, and inform their school if they test positive for COVID-19. This process will be followed at every school site, including Early Childhood Centers.
  
  
• Plexiglass and desk shields have been removed from all school sites except for adult spaces (e.g., school offices, security desks). 
  
  
• School-level events may return to 100% capacity at the building administrator's discretion. 
  
  
• The district will continue its volunteer program. Visitors and volunteers will be allowed in district buildings once completing the HSD Daily Health Screen. 

If a district building reaches a COVID-19 positivity rate of 1.5% for three consecutive school days, students and employees will be required to wear masks for at least two weeks, and other mitigations may be activated. The district will include daily updates on the number of quarantines and positive cases for each building on the COVID-19 Community Health Dashboard. 

The district will continue to contact trace positive cases, follow quarantine and isolation protocols, and disinfect buildings and buses with hospital-grade electrostatic spray units daily/nightly. Alcohol-based hand sanitizing stations will continue to be placed in buildings, classrooms, and school buses. Additionally, all employees, substitutes, and volunteers must complete a Daily Health Screen form before entering any HSD building.

As a reminder to parents and district employees, please continue to monitor your child/yourself for COVID-19 symptoms. If you are sick, please stay home and contact your school nurse or supervisor for further guidance.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we transition through this pandemic while ensuring the health and safety of the entire learning community.