Response to COVID-19

Full Response to COVID-19 Document

Click link above to read our full plan.

August 4, 2020

Dear Oak Ridge Schools Families,

We are working very hard to ensure the safest environment possible while continually providing education to our students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of our top priorities is protecting students, families, and staff, so our school district is following strict guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Tennessee Department of Health for the management of individuals diagnosed with, or exposed to, COVID-19.

When we are notified of an individual who has been diagnosed with COVID19 having been present in a school we, along with our local health department, will immediately begin an investigation to determine who may have been in close contact (within six feet for at least 10 minutes) with that individual.  All who have been identified as close contacts will be notified and instructed to quarantine at home for 14 days from their last contact with that individual. Quarantined individuals are not allowed to return to school until the quarantine period has elapsed.

Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 are to self-isolate at home for ten days from the onset of their symptoms. The individual must be fever-free for 24 hours and have improving symptoms before leaving isolation and returning to school. Please reference the attached document for more details about the Oak Ridge Schools COVID-19 response plan.

While COVID-19 does not cause illness in every person who becomes infected, it is contagious. If we work together with students, families, staff, and the Tennessee Department of Health, we can avoid making a transition to virtual learning throughout this school year.

Contact your medical provider for guidance if you or your child develops any of the COVID-19 symptoms. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and loss of smell or taste. It is not necessary to obtain a COVID-19 test unless you or your child develops symptoms of COVID-19.

If you have questions about this information, please contact your medical provider, your school or your local health department.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bruce Borchers

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent