August 10, 2021

Late Friday afternoon, August 6, 2021, school districts around the State of Florida received new guidance from the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Education. In the Suwannee County School District, we will continue to work closely with both agencies to bring our students, parents, and community the most up-to-date information.

Items of Interest Include:
• Cleaning and sanitation efforts put into place last year, utilizing additional staff to clean more frequently high traffic, high volume areas, will continue throughout the 2021-2022 school year.

• Students should wash hands as often as possible throughout the day and practice good hygiene habits.

• Faculty, staff, and students, who are sick, MUST stay home.

• For students, a medical excuse from a licensed health care provider must be provided in order for a student absence to be entered as an excused medical absence. Parent notes for sickness, or providing results from a home-administered COVID test, are not accepted. NO home testing results will be considered for any purpose related to absences, quarantine, extra-curricular, or athletic participation.

• Face coverings/masks will continue to be OPTIONAL for everyone in keeping with the Governor’s Executive Order #21-175. The Governor’s order may be found at: https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Executive-Order-21-175.pdf

• Additional orders entered by the State Board of Education and Florida Department of Health BOTH entered Friday, August 6, 2021, may be located on the links below.
   ? https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/19994/urlt/Attendance.pdf
   ? https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/19994/urlt/hope.pdf
   ? https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/8.6.21-DOH-Rule.pdf

• The Florida Department of Education’s most recent guidance for schools relating to quarantine, and more explanation of the three emergency rules adopted above, are located on the link below. This is a MUST read for the most current guidelines related to the 2021-2022 school year. Please note that this guidance will be updated as new information becomes available.

https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/19861/urlt/emergencyrulepres.pdf