The Abington School Board Has Approved The District's Revised Health And Safety Plan

ABINGTON, PA — The Abington Board of School Directors Tuesday approved a revised health and safety plan for the district, voting to send the updated plan to the state Department of Education in accordance with protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The revised plan, which relies on the most recent guidance from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, does include a continued universal masking mandate for students and staff while inside school buildings and while riding on district transportation.

Masks must be worn regardless of vaccination status. During periods of high community transmission, masks will even be required to be worn outdoors.

Students will be able to socially distance during recess in order to take mask breaks, the district stated.

The revised health and safety plan also contains 'assurance testing' for those engaged in higher-risk activities, such as sports, band and chorus.

"MCOPH has stressed the importance of in-person education at this stage of the pandemic," the district's director of student services and pandemic liaison, Judy Bomze, wrote in a message that was posted on the district website. "Guided by science and evidence, they have continued to adapt their guidance to support both public health and the goal of keeping schools open."

Following new guidance from county health officials, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 can return to school five days after symptoms begin, as long as their symptoms are resolving and they are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, according to the plan.

The plan recommends a five-day period of isolation for those who are symptomatic, in accordance with the county health office's School Isolation and Quarantine guidance.

The plan also follow's the county's Mask to Stay guidance for asymptomatic staff and students who have had a COVID-19 exposure outside of their household, which includes daily screening for symptoms, masking around other individuals, and testing for the virus one time between days 4 and 6 after exposure, according to the district.

School districts have been required to periodically review and possibly update their health and safety plans, and submit the document to state education officials, throughout the course of the global pandemic.