Beginning March 1, 2021, LCSC will operate in Phase 5: In-person instruction for students in grades K-12, with a remote option still available for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.

Students and staff will be expected to continue to use face masks for the remainder of the school year and during spring activities such as prom and graduation. Masks will be required of all visitors to our school facilities this summer until further notice.  

Phase 5 will be re-evaluated weekly. At least seven days' notice will be given before moving to a less restrictive phase.

It is our plan to return for the 2021-22 school year with full-time, in-person instruction for all students. We maintain our belief that this is in the best interest of our students and families, and that our staff is best equipped to provide this format for learning. 

LCSC will provide academic instruction according to our Phases of Learning. Phase 4 includes multiple formats for instruction:

• In-Person Instruction (K-12) 
  As elementary students are able to be grouped throughout the day to minimize opportunities for exposure, LCSC will offer five days of in-person instruction for students in grades K-5. Special area classes and recess will continue to be offered, although they may be modified to allow for appropriate social distancing. 
  
  
  
• Remote Learning 
  Families may select remote learning if they are uncomfortable with their student returning to school. Students who select this option will follow a remote learning program designed to be self-paced and completed independently, with support from a combination of teachers and instructional assistants. Content will be delivered online through this software, with a teacher or staff member overseeing the student’s progress and providing support as needed. In addition, practice exercises and other activities may be assigned to match the pace, to the extent possible, of the in-person experience. 
  
  Our goal is to provide a consistent and reliable model to deliver grade-level content to our students. The remote learning curriculum was selected based on feedback from our COVID-19 Response Survey, and is designed to support a successful transition back to school when the student is ready. 
  
  Any parent or guardian who indicate that they are considering this option must conference with their student’s principal or designee. The school will contact you to schedule this conference. We ask for some patience with this process.  
  
  

• Virtual Learning + eLearning Days
  LCSC will continue to utilize eLearning for unplanned closures (e.g. weather). In the event a classroom, school, or the district must close, virtual instruction will be provided to students who are attending in-person. This instruction will be provided through Canvas by the students’ assigned teachers.  
  
  Students already enrolled in the remote option will continue their instruction using the program assigned at the beginning of the year.  

LCSC will continue to follow the Indiana Department of Education’s guidelines for extra-curricular and co-curricular re-entry. All district athletics will remain in Phase 1 through July 31. 

LCSC has reviewed our overall attendance policies, and eliminated any recognition of perfect attendance. 

Absences related to COVID-19 will be documented as such and will not factor into the student’s total excused days. Secondary students may elect to participate virtually. 

Reporting an Absence

If a student is ill or unable to attend school due to illness, a parent or guardian must call the attendance office to report the absence on the day of the absence. An absence may be reported on voicemail 24 hours a day by calling the school attendance line. A call is needed each day a student is absent.

The parent or guardian should specify if the absence is related to COVID-19. If so, a school staff member will ask follow-up questions to determine when the student may return to school.

Reporting a Virtual Absence

If the student is ill or unable to login due to illness, a parent  or guardian must call the attendance office to report the absence on the day of the absence. An absence may be reported on voicemail 24 hours a day by calling the school attendance line. A call is needed each day a student is absent.   

If a parent/guardian does not call the attendance office when a student is unable to login to virtual or remote learning, the absence may be recorded as unexcused. The final determination of an absence is at the discretion of the administration.

Remote Learning

The following is a review of information shared in the parents’ conference with school administrators when choosing the remote learning option:

The Indiana Department of Education Instructional Time Requirements (IC 20-30-2-2) in order to count as an instructional day:

• at least 5 hours of instructional time for grades 1-6
• at least 6 hours of instructional time for grades 7-12

LCSC will utilize course progress, student engagement, participation in asynchronous instruction, and system activity and login time as evidence of student engagement and attendance for remote learning. It is expected that students who exercise the remote learning option will stay on pace for course completion throughout the duration of the grading period(s) for which they are enrolled in remote learning.

We know the importance of back-to-school events for our students and families. Schools are in the process of designing programs to allow kindergarten, 6th grade, freshmen, and new students the opportunity to visit and learn about their new schools. There are many pieces to this puzzle and logistical issues to work out to maximize the safety of our staff, administration, and families.

Your child's school will share information with families as soon as possible.

Meals will be served in cafeteria, with expanded seating. This may vary by building and affect instruction in other areas, such as the media center and/or gymnasium. All self-service items and condiments have been eliminated. 

Plexiglass will be installed at point-of-sale locations. Cash transactions will be limited; each school will communicate any updates to this process.  

Students and staff are encouraged to bring water bottles for personal use. Water fountains will be available for filling containers only. Existing water fountains have been modified to become bottle-filling stations, and additional filling stations have been added. 

COVID-19 Vaccinations

School employees are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. On March 31, vaccine eligibility extends to all Indiana residents, ages 16 and up. 

Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are an effective way to reduce risk of serious illness from COVID-19. It is also believed that vaccines can reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. We encourage those eligible to consider receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. 

Vaccine information and scheduling can be found at https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine/. 

Childhood Immunizations

Scheduled immunizations remain an important component of public health. Students are expected to be current on their immunizations unless they have an exemption on file. 

Please note that students entering kindergarten, 6th, and 12th grades require new immunizations and all grades now require a two-vaccine immunization series for Hepatitis A.  

Please click here for information on required immunizations for the 2020-21 school year. 

Per Governor Holcomb's order, masks will be required in students in the 3rd grade and older. The order states that masks are:

• Required by anyone who is eight years and older;
• Required in indoor public spaces, commercial entities or transportation services, or in outside public spaces when you cannot socially distance;
• Required in schools for students in grades 3-12, faculty and staff, volunteers, and visitors;
• Required for co-curricular and extracurricular activities, with exceptions for strenuous physical activity;
• Strongly recommended for ages 2-7;
• Exceptions will be made for medical purposes, strenuous physical activity, eating, and drinking.

All students attending school for in-person or blended instruction will be asked and expected to wear masks or face coverings. Students should carry a face covering or mask with them at all times.

Masks will be required of all visitors to our school facilities this summer until further notice.

LCSC has developed a phased approach to reopen schools for the 2020-21 school year. LCSC may be required to modify practices within one of the Phases or change Phases altogether, possibly with very little notice. We appreciate everyone’s understanding of the necessity for flexibility during this time. 

Data to Inform Decisions 

We will continue to monitor data regarding COVID-19 community spread, which includes, but is not limited to, a two-week average of the following data points: 

• Boone County cumulative incident rate- the number of new cases in the prior two weeks 
• Boone County incident rate trend- whether the two-week incidence rate is increasing, decreasing, or stable 
• Boone County positive test rate- the percentage of individuals who tested positive out of the number of individuals tested 

The district will provide notice of a minimum of one week prior to moving to a less-restrictive phase of learning. Any move to a more restrictive phase of learning will be communicated as soon as possible.  

Recess will be offered as scheduled at all elementary schools. Students will wash hands before and after, and games that require sustained close contact will be prohibited. All equipment will be sanitized daily. 

If your child is exposed to or shows symptoms of COVID-19, please contact his or her school as soon as possible.  It is important to recognize the symptoms of COVID-19. No student should attend school if they are experiencing symptoms, have been in extended close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or if they are waiting for results of a COVID-19 test. If a student pursues a test, please note that only negative PCR or BinaxNOW tests will be accepted to permit an individual to return to school. Results from a rapid COVID-19 test or antigen test (other than BinaxNOW) are not accepted.

Confirmed Cases

LCSC will work with the Boone County Health Department and Indiana State Health Department in the event of a positive case, and will follow their guidance regarding exposure, contact tracing, and quarantines.

In the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in one of our schools, LCSC will provide notification to all staff, students, and families in the school. This is a courtesy notification only and will not include identifying information.

The Boone County Health Department or the Indiana State Department of Health will notify anyone identified to be at risk for exposure. The representative will know your student's name and date of birth and will advise you on what further action is required. Representatives will call and may follow up with text messages and/or letters. 

LCSC staff will not have additional information about confirmed cases and will be unable to respond to inquiries.

To maximize the efficiency of contact tracting, please be advised that you may be contacted by a representative from the Boone County Health Department and/or the Indiana State Department of Health. It is also essential to ensure that your contact information is correct in Skyward Family Access.

We continue to add equipment, steps, practices, and protocols to enhance the safe return of our students and staff, including, but not limited to: 

• Expectations of the use of masks and face coverings (see above)  
• Equipping each classroom with hand sanitizer  
• Equipping each classroom with sanitary wipes  
• Purchase of Ultraviolet Germicidal Light Source Devices (to be delivered)  
• Installation of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) approved MERV 13 air filtration systems in all schools 
• Purchase of electrostatic sanitation backpack sprayers to sanitize busses, playground equipment, PE equipment and other surfaces 
• Expanded seating in cafeterias  
• Additional lunch periods to minimize number of students in cafeterias  
• Purchase of masks and shields and other devices for staff members  
• Purchase of masks for student use (limited supply)  
• Additional custodial staff assigned to each building to wipe frequently touched surfaces throughout the day  
• Purchase and installation of plexiglass dividers at point of sale areas in cafeterias, office areas, and for teacher spaces in classrooms as needed 
• Installation of no touch hand sanitizer stations in cafeterias  
• Installation of touchless water bottle filling stations in each school  
• Daily sanitation of playground equipment  
• Daily sanitation of buses  
• Use of additional entrances and exits during student entrance and exit from buildings  

It is difficult, if not impossible, to expect drivers to focus on driving students safely while also monitoring the use of face coverings by students. We are asking the assistance of parents in communicating the expectation of the use of face coverings by students while riding on the school bus. 

Additionally, our drivers need to have a clear vision and remain undistracted while performing their jobs. As some drivers wear eye correction or have medical conditions prohibiting them from wearing masks, we as that parents understand that drivers may wear face coverings at times, but some may not be able to model this behavior for our student riders. 

We will maintain regular routes, while reducing ridership to two students per seat (with the exception of siblings), using assigned seats, coordinating the filling and emptying of buses to reduce student proximity to one another, and cleaning and sanitizing buses each day.