September 1, 2022

Dear Sawyer Community,

As we begin the school year, there has been an update on the COVID-19 mitigation requirements for Public Schools from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). You can find all of the issued guidance on the following web page:

http://www.nysed.gov/back-school/health-and-safety#2022-23-guidance

Below are some highlights from the guidance: 

• Individuals who are sick should remain home from school. Testing is recommended for individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 as soon as possible after symptoms begin.  
• Universal masking is not required; however, individuals are permitted to wear a mask should they so desire.
• Individuals exposed to COVID-19 will no longer be required to quarantine, but it is recommended that they wear a mask for 10 days after exposure and test on day 5.
• Schools are no longer required to test unvaccinated staff.
• Schools are no long required to contract trace.
• Schools no longer require health screenings.
• Social distancing is no longer required.
• Schools are no longer required to report positive cases to the Department of Health. 
• Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 can return to school after day 5 of isolation if symptom free and fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medicine (day 0 is day of symptom onset or day the individual was tested).  CDC recommends the wearing of a mask on days 6-10 unless the individual received two (2) sequential negative testes 48 hours apart. 
• Individuals who have ended isolation and COVID-19 symptoms worsen should restart isolation at day 0. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.

We advise individuals to monitor the COVID-19 Community Level and to follow CDC recommended guidelines, which include wearing a high-quality mask indoors when the COVID-19 Community Level is high, or if you have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19.  You can check Community Level here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fscience%2Fcommunity-levels.html

In addition to the above, we will no longer send daily updates of the number of positive cases to you.  However, if we identify a cluster of positive cases in a specific classroom(s), we will notify the parents/guardians of the student in the affected classroom(s) about the potential exposure.  

The Saugerties Central School District will be following guidance from NYSDOH, NYSED, and The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If we receive any changes to the current guidance, we will share this with you in a timely manner.

If you have any questions, please contact your building principal. Test kits are available in each building for you to take. 

We are looking forward to seeing our students on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.  

Sincerely,

Kirk Reinhardt

Superintendent of Schools