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2021-22 COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 & UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

Through the 2021-22 school year, University High School has prioritized having all students on campus together. In-person learning is the primary mode of instruction this year; e-learning is only be used in cases of quarantine or other school-approved, medical-related extended absences. Writing during the middle of the pandemic, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated that “…healthy relationships are as essential as vaccines and ventilators for our national recovery.” We worked hard to remain connected and grounded in our relationships through the last year of social distancing and hybrid learning, but we know that our community and our connections are even stronger because we have been fully present together this year.

In the months since the vaccine became available to those in our school community, many have chosen to get vaccinated. As of early March, 100% of our faculty and staff are vaccinated against COVID-19, and more than 90% of our students are vaccinated. 

Throughout this pandemic, we have followed the guidance of the CDC, the Indiana State Department of Health, and the Hamilton County Health Department to great success. As of Feb. 25, 2022, while the CDC recommends masking indoors in any county that is deemed to be high risk, their metrics now account for hospitalization rates, hospital bed availability, and new cases of COVID-19 as the primary means to establish county status.

Because the three primary counties we draw from (Hamilton, Boone, and Marion) are currently at low or medium risk levels, beginning Tuesday, March 1, 2022, University High School will no longer require masks to be worn indoors on campus. Students, faculty, staff, and guests who wish to be unmasked indoors will now be permitted to do so. Of course, we will also support fully those who wish to remain masked.

Policies & Practices for 2021-22

Below please find details about the health and safety policies and practices for the upcoming school year.

General Health Policies & Practices

Here’s what families should know about general health policies and procedures at University High School.

  • Students should not come to campus when they are sick.
  • If a student experiences a fever, they must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.
  • If a student will miss school due to sickness (or any reason), parents/guardians should call the attendance line or email Kathy Davis (kdavis@universityhighschool.org) to report the absence. Unreported absences count as unexcused.
  • All students should perform a daily temperature check before coming to campus each day.
  • Practice proper hand washing by washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds whenever hands are visibly soiled, before and after eating, and after using the restroom.
  • All students should practice good sneezing technique, doing so into a disposable tissue or shirt sleeve rather than into a hand.
  • Students who have an extended medical absence will be able to join classes via Zoom.  There is not otherwise an elearning option for classes.
  • The following are the required Indiana immunizations. Please send immunization records to Kathy Davis (kdavis@universityhighschool.org).

Here’s what families should know about our facilities and how we are mitigating virus spread.

  • We have water bottle filling stations on each floor of each building. Students should bring a water bottle. Water fountains are disabled.
  • We continue to drive our HVAC systems to purge buildings each morning and cycle air all day at a faster rate than we did pre-pandemic.
  • We have hand sanitizer in all rooms.
  • We have picnic tables, chairs, and benches outside to encourage students to be outside as much as possible.
COVID-19 Policies & Practices

Here’s what families should know about COVID-19 policies and procedures at University High School.
(Please note that these policies are subject to change based on updated guidance and the public health situation.)

  • Masks are optional in all spaces on campus, including on buses and vans.
  • Vaccinations are highly encouraged for those who are eligible.
  • Students do not need to provide proof of vaccination if they were vaccinated in Indiana. We can review state student immunization in the CHIRP database. 
  • Students immunized outside of Indiana should send proof of vaccination to Ms. Davis.
  • Families should report a student’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis to Stacey Summitt-Mann. 
  • Students and employees who are positive for COVID-19 will isolate, per current IDOH and CDC guidelines. Return policy to UHS from isolation follows CDC and IDOH guidelines. We will convey the following (current) CDC and IDOH standards to affected individuals:
    • Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate for five days and may return on Day 6 if they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication and if their symptoms are improving. Individuals should wear a mask through Day 10 any time they are around others inside their homes or in public. They must stay 6’+ away from others when eating or during other unmasked times. 
  • If there is a COVID-positive person on campus, we will contact vaccinated and unvaccinated close contacts so they can watch for symptoms.
  • People who are a direct contact with someone positive for COVID-19 will monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, but there is no mandatory quarantine as long as they remain asymptomatic.