Today, the Florida Department of Health issued Emergency Order 64DER21-15 Protocols for Controlling COVID 19 in School Settings. This rule is effective immediately. Schools shall allow parents or legal guardians the authority to choose how their child receives education after having direct contact with an individual who is positive for COVID 19.

If a student is in close contact with a positive case, but is asymptomatic, parents and guardians have two choices.

1. If their child remains asymptomatic, they may send their child to school starting tomorrow. For those who are currently quarantining, they may return to school if they are asymptomatic.

2. If they are asymptomatic, but in close contact with a positive case, the parent may decide to quarantine their child at home for seven days and return on day eight, and the absence will be excused. If a student quarantines, the school will provide a laptop and instructional support so the student can keep up with the instruction occurring in the classroom during their quarantine. If the student completes work each day, they will be counted present.

Parents and guardians who choose to send their children to school are asked to please monitor them for symptoms before they go to school. If they become symptomatic, keep them at home. See the district’s updated COVID 19 guidance.

For further information, refer to the district’s COVID 19 dashboard. As further direction is received from the Department of Health and the Department of Education, new information will be sent to parents and guardians.