COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 Information and Guidance – Updated August 2022

As the new school year gets underway, please note that our district will be continuing to follow the same COVID-19 protocols that were in place at the end of the 2021-22 school year. These include:

• Use of masks/face coverings is optional (not required).

• Students and staff with primary symptoms of COVID-19 will be excluded from school, as per this guidance. Primary symptoms of COVID-19 include:
  • Cough
  • Temperature of 100.4° or higher
  • Chills
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing
  • New loss of taste or smell

• Students and staff with a positive COVID-19 test are required to isolate for five days, with Day 1 being the first full day following the positive test result or onset of symptoms.

• If your child has a positive COVID-19 test result -OR- has developed primary symptoms of COVID-19, please keep them home from school and contact your school’s office for additional guidance. Our Health Services Department will continue to contact families of ill students to provide information, testing support, and to confirm the date which your child may return to campus.

• Families of students who have been exposed to confirmed positive COVID cases in classrooms, on sports teams, etc. will continue to be notified by their child’s school. Please note that school-wide notifications will no longer be sent out this school year unless directed by the local public health authority. There is no current quarantine requirement for close contacts of positive cases.

• Diagnostic testing will continue to be available in our schools for students and staff who become sick with primary symptoms of COVID-19. Testing is optional, and written permission is required for students to receive diagnostic testing. If you would like your child to participate in testing in the event of symptom onset during the school day, please see your school office to complete a written permission slip.

The Sherwood School District, through our Health Services Department, works in close collaboration as needed with Washington County Public Health on positive case response. Case response protocols are aligned with current guidance from Washington County Public Health, the Oregon Health Authority, and the Oregon Department of Education.

Frequently Asked Questions

“When should I keep my child home from school?”

Students displaying the following primary symptoms of COVID will be sent home from school, and we encourage families to screen for these symptoms daily before sending their students to school:

• Fever of 100.4°F or higher
• Chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• New loss of taste or smell

If your child displays these symptoms, or has received a positive COVID test result, please keep them home and contact your school office. Additionally, students with other symptoms, such as a sore throat or a runny nose, may still be contagious with illnesses other than COVID-19. If you believe your child may be ill and are unsure if they might be contagious, please contact your school for more information or your child’s health provider for guidance before bringing the student to campus. 

“My child has illness symptoms, but has a negative COVID test result. How will I know when they can return to school?”

If your child has symptoms of illness but has tested negative for COVID, your school will use the symptom-specific guidance found here to determine when your child can return to school. When in doubt, please keep your sick child home until you have contacted the school office for further guidance.

“How will my child access learning while they are in isolation?”

Once a student is required to isolate, school staff will follow-up with families to provide instructions on how to access learning during the student’s time out of school, as well as to facilitate access to any additional materials or technology needed, including devices or internet hotspots. Please contact your school’s office if you have questions related to learning access during isolation.

Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan

In compliance with ODE requirements, our district has updated our Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan for the 2022-23 school year, including school-level plans. Please see links below for district and school level plans, as well as information on our ESSER III Integrated Plan.