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July 30, 2021

Update: Message to the FCUSD Community

July 30, 2021

To our FCUSD community:

The latest update from Sacramento County Public Health (SCPH), effective today, July 30, is that all individuals in Sacramento County must wear face coverings while indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Please click here to read. This includes all FCUSD schools, sites, and offices. This is on top of and in addition to the health order issued on July 12, from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) K-12 Schools Guidance for the 2021-22 school year which stated that all students and staff must wear a face covering. 

While some guidance is similar to last year, there are some changes as well:

Continues from last school year:

  • Masks are required indoors for all students and employees regardless of vaccination status
  • Staff and students must stay home when sick
  • Unvaccinated individuals with symptoms, who test positive, or who have close contact exposure must quarantine for the required period 
  • Testing recommendations are in place for individuals with symptoms or close contact exposures
  • Positive case reporting and contact tracing will take place by the District
  • Hand hygiene practices
  • Regular food service operations
  • Masks must be worn on school buses by all students and employees

No longer required:

  • Masks outdoors, regardless of vaccination status
  • Masks may be removed for eating and drinking
  • Hybrid schedules
  • Physical distancing
  • Quarantine for vaccinated* 
    • *unless symptomatic
  • Grab-&-go/individually packed lunch service - lunchtime will resume on campus

Guidelines for sports, drama, band and other extracurricular activities have not been updated. Until further notice, protocols in place for the 2020-21 school year will continue to be followed. Masks will not be required outdoors.

The new guidance allows schools to reopen with regular schedules, very little physical distancing, and no masks required outdoors. In addition, school lunch service can resume regular operations.  Compliance with masking indoors is the main portion of safety procedures that remains from 2020-21.

Other safety strategies our schools will continue to employ:

  • All eligible individuals are highly encouraged to be vaccinated
  • Frequent testing at school sites if needed and upon parent/guardian consent
  • Continued cleaning of classrooms and common spaces
  • Frequent hand washing
  • Option to enroll in Independent Studies
    • For staffing purposes, transfer requests open until August 6
    • For staffing purposes, transfer requests open until August 6
  • Temporary Independent Study option for short-term needs, to be arranged at the student(s) school site
    • For instance, temporary quarantine, COVID positive situations until able to return to class

Many parents/guardians have reached out with concerns about the indoor mask requirement. The Mask Mandate is Not Discretionary for California K-12 Districts. 

Per the directive from the CDPH, all California school districts must require that all students and staff wear face coverings at all times when indoors, regardless of vaccination status. All K-12 districts in the state must comply with this mandatory requirement, which includes enforcing it at all school sites. Therefore, local Boards of Education and the Superintendent do not have discretion about whether or not to enforce the mask mandate for students and staff. The CDPH makes clear that districts’ discretion is limited to adopting enforcement protocols that ensure face coverings are properly worn at all times while indoors. CDPH will continue to monitor the situation and will make changes to the guidelines according to levels of community transmission.  

Please note that districts are to follow safety regulations from state agencies for all people on campus.  To express your thoughts and concerns to state policymakers, please see the links below:

Governor Newsom: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/

CDPH: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/contact_us.aspx

Click the link for the complete CDPH Guidance for K-12 Schools from 7/12/2021.

Continued reminders to students and staff:

  • Teaching and reinforcing use of face coverings, or in limited instances, face shields with drapes
  • Not to touch the face covering and to wash their hands frequently
  • Providing information to all staff and families in the school community on proper use, removal, and washing of cloth face coverings
  • Appropriate time to remove a face covering or face shield while indoors only for meals, snacks, nap time, or when it needs to be replaced. 
  • Applying face covering policies on school buses and any vehicle affiliated with the District used to transport students, staff, or teachers to and/or from a school site

In limited situations where a face covering cannot be used for pedagogical or developmental reasons, (e.g., communicating or assisting young children or those with special needs) a face shield with a drape (per CDPH guidelines) can be used instead of a face covering while in the classroom as long as the wearer maintains physical distance from others.  Staff must return to wearing a face covering in accordance with the second point above when sharing indoor spaces with students.