In recent days, Facebook pages for campuses around the Polk School District have been sharing posts that have spelled out one clear message: if you have gotten a COVID-19 test, don’t come back to school until it comes back negative.

Superintendent Laurie Atkins re-iterated this message as the final day of the week off from school in a brief shutdown. The district is getting ready for the return to regular classroom instruction on August 25 after the first Monday off on a new four-day school week.

“With recommendations from the Department of Public Health, we wanted to communicate the important message of staying at home if tested until the results are received as negative,” she said of the posts. “This is in an effort to protect our students and employees. Hopefully this will decrease the number of individuals exposed to a positive case before the individual has received their results.”

Let’s say this one more time so everyone is clear: if you get a COVID-19 test done for your child or yourself, stay home until it comes back negative.

The district is also asking parents to keep students home who come back with a positive result for at least 10 calendar days from the first day symptoms are noticed. Do not base the 10-day period off of a test date.

Though no parent is required to share a student’s result or if they were tested, but the results will be sent to the Department of Public Health.

The agency will inform parents whether their child has tested positive or negative for the virus, and if self-quarantine is required for students and parents alike, and how long to quarantine for with a positive result.

“The DPH does not contact the school with this date, so please keep up with your medical information,” Rockmart High School’s Facebook page reported in their post. “If you contact the school to self-report a positive test, we will also report this to the DPH.”

Here are some other important points to remember for navigating school during COVID-19:

• For those who have been exposed to the virus, students must stay out of school for 14 days. That specifically is for anyone who comes inside of six feet of a positive person for more than 15 continuous minutes at a time.
• If a student in a class is diagnosed with COVID-19 and another student sits near this person, information about those potentially exposed will be passed along to DPH to determine whether exposure has happened.
• The Department of Public Health is responsible for informing individuals and determining their level of exposure, and how long to quarantine if they need to do so. Parents are not required to share that date with schools, but officials ask that they do so.
• Students are not required to wear a mask on campus, but are encouraged to do so. Students should also have their own personal hand sanitizer, water bottles and remember to try and maintain social distance from their peers as much as possible in the classroom setting.
• If your child feels sick – especially if they are running a fever or exhibit other symptoms of COVID-19 – KEEP THEM HOME.