MILTON
In an email to parents Monday afternoon, the Milton School District said it would not be changing quarantine and isolation protocols for those with COVID-19 to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation that time spend in quarantine be reduced from 10 days to five days for those no longer showing symptoms or testing positive for the virus.
However, district officials on Wednesday were revisiting that decision as they awaited confirmation from the CDC that its guidelines applied to K-12 students as well as adults.
The district's protocols are subject the change. If that occurs, parents will be immediately notified, school officials said.
The district was also awaiting guidance from the state departments of Health Services and Public Instruction as well as the Rock County Public Health Department to help determine its next steps.
The CDC updated its for the general public over the district's winter break. The district said in its initial statement that the recommendations did not apply to K-12 school settings.
鈥淲e were made aware by local health officials that the CDC has not yet changed their to incorporate these new isolation and quarantine timelines," the district's email to parents said. "The CDC still recommends a full 10-day isolation period for all individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the K-12 school setting.鈥
The district will discuss any potential changes to COVID-19 protocols at the upcoming school board meeting Monday, Jan. 10.
After the winter break, positive COVID-19 cases among students and employees increased in the district. On Dec. 22, the district聽reported 37 positive cases for COVID among students and three among staff members. On Monday afternoon, 48 students and 12 staff members were diagnoses with COVID.
School bus changes
Due to a shortage of school bus drivers, the district also informed parents via email that three elementary and three intermediate school afternoon bus routes would be combined starting Tuesday and continuing at least through the end of the week.
Milton students on routes 134 (West), 145 (East), 146 (East) and Northside routes 110, 112 and 113 will arrive home later than their usual times. The district's goal is to have all routes completed by 5:30 p.m. and to keep schools open, according to the email. Parents should call their children's schools if they want to pick up students at school instead.
It was later updated by the district that Northside route 112 will run as scheduled this week, according to the district's . Instead, Northside route 11 will be impacted and arrive home later than its regular time through the end of the week.