This page is meant to provide the latest information and protocols Lemoore Union Elementary School District is following for the 2024-2025 school year. On this page, you will find updates, information and resources, links to expert health agencies, and an archive of District communications. LUESD is subject to the guidance of the CA Department of Public Health K-12 Guidance, any current health order, and, as an employer, the CalOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards.  We are also subject to stricter guidance from the Kings County Department of Public Health and our local school district should ones be issued.  It is also the role of the Kings County Department of Public Health to interpret guidance for local education agencies when the situation is not clarified in any of the guidances.

In addition to the standard health and safety measures taken on our campuses, we encourage you to be proactive and to reinforce the importance of hand-washing, proper cough etiquette, physical distancing when possible, and face coverings when applicable to limit the spread of COVID-19 especially when community COVID-19 case counts are high. Please follow the current school protocols below.

1. What are the student screening protocols at home before school?

2. What happens if my student develops symptoms at school?

3. When may my student return to school after developing symptoms?

4. What happens if my child has had an exposure event to someone with COVID-19?

5. What happens if there is a classroom or campus COVID-19 exposure at my child's school?

6. When may my child return to school after testing positive for COVID-19?

7. Are curbside to go meals being provided this school year?

8. What will the distancing protocols be this school year?

9. Will my child be able to attend school without a face covering?

10. What documentation do I need to provide for my child to be exempt from wearing a face covering?

11. Are there any out of country or out of state travel requirements for my child?

12. Where can I get my child tested for COVID-19?

13. Where can I register for the COVID-19 vaccine?

1. What are the student screening protocols at home before school?

We are following our Guidance for Common Signs and Symptoms. Students who have had an exposure event to COVID-19 can come to school if they are fever free and feel well enough to attend school.

2. What happens if my student develops symptoms at school?

We are following our Guidance for Common Signs and Symptoms which provides guidelines on when we will send a student home or if they simply do not feel well enough to be at school. When a student is identified at school with one of the recommended signs/symptoms in the chart below which requires the student to go home:

1. Effort will be made by the school to first inform the student’s primary contacts of the need to be picked up due to the identified illness. If the primary contacts are not responding, the school will contact any designated contacts that have been provided.

2. The student will need to be picked up within 2 hours of this illness notification. If the parent has not picked up the student within 2 hours or communicated an alternative plan with the school that can be accommodated then Lemoore Police Department will be involved.

3. For the safety of the student, a student with an identified illness on this list to be sent home, will not be allowed to walk home or take the bus home.

3. When may my student return to school after developing symptoms?

Please refer to our Guidance for Common Signs and Symptoms for when it is appropriate for you child to return to school .

4. What happens if my child has had an exposure event outside of school to someone with COVID-19?

If they develop symptoms, it is recommended that they test before coming to school, but it is not required.

5. What happens if there is a classroom or campus COVID-19 exposure at my child's school?

We track all confirmed cases that we are informed about and confirmed case protocols and reporting to the health department will be followed. We will not be contact tracing or informing families of group exposures at school. We recommend that when case counts in our county are high that our community should assume they have been exposed in many public places including school. If an outbreak is identified at a school site, the required procedures for outbreak reporting will be followed.

6. When may my child return to school after testing positive for COVID-19?

Students may return to school after testing positive for COVID-19 when they feel well enough and the are fever free without the use of fever reducing medication.

7. Are curbside to go meals being provided this school year?

No, our regular in person meal service will be the only option again this school year. 

8. What will the distancing protocols be this school year?

It is recommended that individuals maintain distance from others when community rates of COVID-19 are high. There are no distancing requirements at school.


9. Will my child be able to attend school without a face covering?

Yes. On March 14, 2022, CDPH and our local health department no longer require students to wear a mask when indoors. It is recommended especially when community rates of COVID-19 are high and masks will still be provided to students if they want one. Face coverings are available at the school if your student would like to wear one. It is recommended to wear a face covering for 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19, but is not required.

10. What documentation do I need to provide for my child to be exempt from wearing a face covering?

As of March 14, 2022, it is no longer required to receive an exemption for your child from wearng a face covering.


11. Are there any out of country or out of state travel requirements for my child?

There are currently no travel restriction requirements in the State of California; therefore, LUESD will not require any students or staff to quarantine after travel. The State's travel recommendations can be found here.

12. Where can I get my child tested for COVID-19?

1. Over the counter rapid antigen tests also called "at home" tests: Each of our sites have a supply of home tests that you can request to complete some of the testing recommendations or requirements.

2. At school PCR or Rapid AntigenTesting: We are no longer offering testing at school. There are many locations in Kings County to receive free Rapid Antigen or PCR testing. Click on the KCDPH COVID Testing Location tab.

LUESD has received some questions from parents regarding the testing provided at our school sites through the COLOR platform with CDPH's Valencia Branch Lab. Here are the answers from COLOR:

• How can a participant revoke their HIPAA consent? If a participant would like to revoke their HIPAA consent, they can head to https://www.color.com/hipaa-revoke.

• How often do we have to renew our consent? Currently you only have to register once, but have to renew your consent every 6 months.

• Why are we being asked so many questions on the profile setup, such as gender identification, etc.? All questions that we ask during registration are required by CA law. If you have questions on specific questions feel free to reach out to us at covidsites@color.com. Thank you!

• Is there a possibility of getting cotton swabs for those that are allergic to polyester? Unfortunately we likely do not have alternative swab types available. Here is additional information on our swabs: https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/3989189/CDPH%20documents/SteriPack%20Swab%20Information.pdf.

13. Where can I register for the COVID-19 vaccine?

Kings County has free, walk-up COVID-19 and flu vaccine clinics throughout our county. This link will take you to the health department's webpage regarding COVID-19. Please click on the "Vaccine Site Schedule" on that page. Individuals are not considered to be "fully vaccinated" until it has been 14 days since their last dose in that series (2 doses for Moderna and Pfizer and 1 dose for Johnson & Johnson). Currently only the Pfizer 2 dose vaccine is eligible to those students in our district. You can register to receive the vaccine by going to myturn.ca.gov OR vaccines.gov or by texting your zip code to 438829. The myturn.ca.gov site allows you to make an appointment for the whole family.

The COVID-19 vaccine is currently not a required immunization for school enrollment.

For information on the 3 different authorized COVID-19 vaccines, follow this link to the State's information page.

ARCHIVED PAST COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS AND PROTOCOLS

CDPH Letter - Requirement for Universal Masking Indoors at K-12 Schools

2021-2022 Opening of School Plan (Archived)

Employee Daily COVID-19 Self Check (Archived)

Employee Illness and Exposure Expectations (Archived)