Posted: July 15

Updated July 27

Seward Public Schools will again be open in the fall of 2021 for in-person teaching and learning. We will continue to work closely with the Four Corners Health Department and state officials if an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs within our schools. We will utilize only if needed the protocols that were put into place from our 2020-2021 reopening plan. Our goal is to have as much as a normal school year as possible, but we will communicate any changes that may need to be made throughout the school year. Thank you for your continued support of Seward Public Schools as we look forward to a great 2021-2022 school year.

COVID-19 Vaccination:

Seward Public  Schools is an active community partner with the Four Corners Health Department and other state and local public health leaders to promote COVID-19 vaccination. The summary below represents the strategies Seward Public School District will continue to use to support the overall public health message and strategy to vaccinate individuals against COVID-19.

• Regular parent, staff, and student email updates which include factual information regarding the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.  This will include sharing public health recommendations to mitigate COVID-19 spread for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.    
• Regular coordination with the Four Corners Health Department and Seward County Memorial Health Care Systems to assist with planning, coordinating, and communicating information related to community COVID-19 vaccine clinics.  
• Provide flexibility to staff and students who need to miss work/school to gain access to a COVID-19 vaccine or in response to its short-term side effects.  

2021-22 Core Protocols:

• Continue to request that students and staff self screen daily for COVID-19 symptoms using the self-screening protocol.  
• Encourage and enable students and staff to frequently wash and sanitize hands.  
• Promote appropriate coughing and sneezing etiquette.  
• Utilize targeted enhanced cleaning protocols on high touch surfaces throughout each school and in school transportation vehicles.  
• Continue to ensure students and staff who are sick stay home from school.  
• Require anyone testing positive for COVID-19 to isolate for (10) days since onset of symptoms and symptoms have improved and the individual is fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.  
• Continue to assist local health department officials with contact tracing as necessary for COVID-19 exposures that occur on campus and at school activities or events.  
• Follow directives from the local health department for someone who has been exposed to COVID-19 (e.g., potential quarantine, self-monitor, etc.).  
• Strongly recommend anyone unvaccinated to wear a face mask while indoors in settings where physical distancing is not possible.  
• Communicate information about the COVID-19 vaccine and encourage students and staff to be vaccinated and where they can be vaccinated in Seward County. 
• Increase fresh air mixture into HVAC systems throughout all schools. 
• Students with special needs will have access to all safety protocols discussed above as well as safety measures agreed to in the IEP.
• Continuity of services will be provided for academic, mental health, health, and food services as outlined in the 2020-21 Safety Protocol Document should the district find itself in the high risk category for Covidspread.  
• Promote social distancing by students and staff and provide physical social distancing measures as needed through local guidance.  

• Will work with local health departments and ESU 6 during the summer months.  
• In the event that SPS needs to use our COVID 19 Protocols they can be found on the 20-21 Reopening plan here: 2020-2021 Reopening Plan