New Classroom Quarantine Guidelines and Expiration of FFCRA

New Classroom Quarantine Guidelines 

The Ohio Department of Health issued a new fact sheet  K-12 School Quarantine Guidelines. The new guidelines stem from a study that showed children who had close contact (defined as within six feet for 15 minutes) to infected individuals and appropriately masked had rates of COVID-19 that were similar to children with no known COVID-19 exposure in school.

School re-opening guidelines

Earlier this afternoon, Gov. Mike DeWine announced the release of two guidelines for the re-opening of schools in the fall. One is health focused and the other is for school administrators. Staff of the OSBA division of legal services are reviewing the documents in detail and will provide more information soon.

CDC Releases School Reopening Guidelines

On May 19th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its” interim guidance on how schools and other establishments can safely open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

School Board Meetings and COVID-19

Across the country, individuals have been required or encouraged to limit face-to-face meetings and practice “social distancing” to slow the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In light of these guidelines, OSBA has received numerous questions regarding the applicability of Ohio’s Open Meetings Act (OMA) during the pandemic. Because these state directives are changing on a day-to-day basis, boards should consult with legal counsel before making decisions about their meetings.