Health & Safety Update – April 1

Masks Are Optional Beginning Monday, April 4th 

COVID-19 rates across Northeast Ohio have decreased steadily, and Cuyahoga County has now been at the CDC’s low community level for three weeks.  We are thankfully not aware of a staff or scholar case occurring in our network community since February 23rd.  As a result of the current conditions and the latest CDC guidance, beginning on Monday, April 4th masks will become optional for staff and scholars in all Breakthrough schools and offices. If you would like your scholar to continue to wear a mask, please send them with one from home or let them know to ask for a mask upon arriving at school. 

We ask that everyone in our community remain respectful of the individual choices that families and staff members will make in the coming days.  Masks will continue to be available at all schools. Please know that we are fully prepared to reinstate our mask requirement at any time if conditions warrant.  In particular, we are actively monitoring local trends related to the omicron BA.2 subvariant and will keep you updated if it starts to look like we may need to adjust the course before the end of the school year.  

COVID-19 Reporting Form and Other COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols

Our existing protocols around quarantine/isolation for COVID-19 exposure and infection will also remain in effect. Testing resources for symptomatic or exposed scholars are still available at all schools and we ask that you continue to complete the COVID-19 reporting form if your scholar has symptoms of, is exposed to, or tests positive for COVID-19.  

Click here to learn more about our existing protocols around hand hygiene and cleaning/sanitation. Our existing protocols around hand hygiene and cleaning/sanitation will remain in effect. As the weather begins to warm, we will also focus on improving ventilation through opening windows in addition to continuing to use the air purifiers that have been placed throughout buildings.  

COVID-19 Case Reporting

While the Ohio Department of Health has removed all reporting and notification requirements, we will continue to send close contact and classroom notices for any positive cases in our community.  We will also continue to update our COVID-19 dashboard with all cases but will no longer be sending schoolwide notices.

We remain incredibly grateful to everyone in the Breakthrough community for their patience and adherence to our health and safety protocols over the past 24 months.  Let’s all continue to hope that warmer weather and ongoing vigilance will help maintain our current COVID-19 conditions for the remainder of this school year and beyond. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to either of us or your school’s principal.

 

With gratitude,

Ralph Johnson

CEO, Breakthrough Public Schools

rjohnson@breakthroughschools.org 

Tyler Thornton

Chief Operating Officer, Breakthrough Public Schools

tthornton@breakthroughschools.org