Students in East Haven Public School (EHPS) have been back in the buildings since the beginning of the 2021-’22 school year on Aug. 31. Despite the continuation of COVID-19, EHPS has a goal of maintaining 100 percent in-person learning throughout the school year.

With 2,860 students enrolled in EHPS for the 2021-’22 school year, there have been 29 confirmed COVID cases (28 students, 1 staff) so far this year. As of Sept. 23, 32 students were in quarantine as a result of school-based positive cases. Of the 32, 27 of those quarantine were from East Haven High School, two from Tuttle, one from Melillo, and two from Momauguin.

“Programming for students in quarantine is designed to keep kids on track academically, connected socially and emotionally, and help them make a seamless transition back into the school setting after the close of their quarantine,” said Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti. “Parents are encouraged to reach out to their child’s school if they have questions regarding the work and live sessions during their child’s quarantine.”

All students in quarantine are provided and have access to activities, assignments, tasks, and support materials digitally and in print, if necessary. Success@Home coaches are also available for regularly scheduled live interactive sessions to help students. Students can voluntarily log onto these sessions with East Haven teachers and paraprofessionals who are serving in the role of the Success@Home Coach for additional guidance and support. Students and families in quarantine are provided the information, schedule of sessions, and links to log on a various points throughout the day.

Masks are still required through Sept. 30, according to Governor Ned Lamont’s executive order. The Adapt, Advance, Achieve plan set forth by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Connecticut Department of Health for fall 2021 that was released on Aug. 19 does make an allowance for fully vaccinated teachers to remove their masks during active instruction, though this is not happening at EHPS.

“In consultation with East Shore District Health Department, school nurses, and our teacher union, East Haven is not allowing teachers to remove their masks during instruction at this time,” said Forti. “We are waiting until after Sept. 30 to reevaluate this based on our beginning of year experiences and data, as well as, any updates, extension, or changes to the governor’s order requiring masks in school.

Some of the other COVID-related guidelines that were in place last year have eased. The Connecticut State Department of Education adjusted its recommendation for physical distancing from six feet to three feet. Cohorting is also no longer required. EHPS will continue to “make every effort” to follow the six-foot distance guidelines during lunch and use outdoor seating and additional spacing when possible.

Quarantine procedures have also been adjusted. Individuals identified as a close contact (within six feet of a COVID-19 positive individual for a combined 15 minutes) may now return to school after seven days so long as they have a negative test on the fifth, sixth, or seventh day. The isolation period for an infected person is 10 days from the onset of symptoms or a positive test. Those in isolation or quarantine will be offered remote instruction.

When it comes to contact tracing, the first question in EHPS’s quarantine flow chart is whether the exposed person was vaccinated. If a vaccinated person is exposed but does not experience symptoms, there is no need for quarantine, though testing is recommended three to five days after exposure. Unvaccinated people who are exposed as close contacts will need to quarantine.

“The biggest change comes with students and staff who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine if they are vaccinated, unless, of course, they are or become symptomatic,” said Forti. “Another change is the guideline for defining a close contact in the classroom setting is now anyone with a mask that is less than three feet, as opposed to six feet for more than 15 minutes.”

For more information, visit the “COVID Tracker” on www.east-haven.k12.ct.us.