Schools monitor COVID cases as winter break draws to close (Updated)

As daily COVID-19 case counts remain high, Lorain County schools are weighing their options when returning from winter break. Lorain Schools pushed back students' return to Jan. 10 after consulting with Lorain County Health Commissioner Mark Adams and Dr. Prakash Ganesh from Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine. Staff will still return Jan. 4, CEO Jeff Graham said in a news release Thursday. Meals will be available for students the week of Jan. 4, with more information expected. Prior to the winter break, Lorain Schools already had a mask mandate in place for all staff and students. While Lorain Schools is the only public district in the county to delay its start so far, others announced mask mandates or encouraged families to use them once classes resume. Elyria Schools students, staff and visitors will be required to wear masks when classes resume Jan. 3, Superintendent Ann Schloss said Thursday evening. The district plans to evaluate the situation weekly, and will inform staff and families of any changes, Schloss said. North Ridgeville Schools announced similar plans, requiring face coverings inside all district buildings and school-provided transportation starting Monday. Superintendent Roxann Ramsey-Caserio wrote in a message to families that the decision was made in consultation with Lorain County Public Health and "allows us another measure to keep staff and students in the District for in-person learning." Avon Lake Schools also announced that a temporary face mask requirement for all staff and students will be in place from Jan. 3 until Jan. 28, and it will be reevaluated at that time. Jan. 3 was previously changed to a professional development day, and students will return Jan. 4 for in-person instruction. In a message to families Thursday, Firelands Superintendent Mike Von Gunten asked for the community's understanding as the district continues to navigate the "ever-evolving pandemic." Masks remain optional in buildings, he said, but are strongly encouraged as the omicron variant is highly contagious. Masks are still required on school transportation and may become a requirement in classrooms if the district sees a spread of cases in school. He also encouraged families to create a backup plan if schools must close due to staffing shortages. Similarly, Keystone Superintendent Dan White's message to families Thursday encouraged children to stay home if they are sick and recommended wearing masks while in school. KN90 masks are available in the offices of each building for staff and student use. In years past, January and February have presented staffing issues in cold and flu seasons, and he expects this year to be heightened due to COVID-19 and its variants, he wrote. If there is not enough staff, the district will call a calamity day, preferably for only one building at a time. Oberlin Schools will continue its mask mandate and other preventive measures in the new year, Superintendent David Hall announced Thursday. While it plans to return to in-person classes next week, it has been working on its hybrid and remote learning plans if needed, Hall wrote. "On some level, the pandemic has affected each and every one of us; and I would like to extend sincere condolences to anyone who has lost someone or who was severely impacted over the last two years due to COVID-19," Hall said. "Please continue to stay safe, healthy and engage in responsible social activities while over break." In a message to families Friday, Amherst Superintendent Steve Sayers wrote students and staff who are positive for COVID-19 may return to school five days after the onset of symptoms if they are asymptomatic or symptoms are getting better. For the next five days, a mask must be worn per Lorain County Public Health. Outside of that time, masks are recommended, but not required, in Amherst Schools. Lorain County Public Health has also recommended contact tracing be suspended, Sayers wrote. Quarantines will not be required and students may attend school as long as they are symptom-free. Administrators will continue to notify families if there is a positive case in a child's classroom. In a letter to districts across the state, the Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio Children's Hospital Association urged schools to implement mask mandates as classes resume. "Our health care system already is taxed, with one out of every four patients in the hospital with COVID-19," the physicians wrote. "We're fighting hard to save their lives while treating other Ohioans who need our help. … We can't do this alone. With omicron spreading quickly through Ohio, we need everyone's help to make it through the coming weeks. Please help us by requiring students to wear masks when they return to school." This story has been updated to include a message from Amherst Schools sent Friday afternoon.