School Demographics and Shutdown Procedures
Are masks required by students, staff, or visitors?
On February 22, 2022, masks will be strongly encouraged, but not required, inside of all Derry Township School District buildings. For the 2022-2023 school year, masks will continue to remain optional for families and staff.
Can a student or staff member still wear a face mask if they prefer?
Yes. Masks are a voluntary mitigation effort. The decision to wear a mask will be left to the individual and/or the student's family.
In what situation would face masks be required again?
It is possible that DTSD could return to a mask-required learning environment should building/district transmission rates exceed 3.5% or if the legal requirements regarding masking change.
What does 3.5% look like in each building?
Early Childhood Center - greater than 15
Hershey Elementary School - greater than 33
Hershey Middle School - greater than 28
Hershey High School - greater than 41
How will I be notified if the mask requirements change?
An email and text message will be sent from the District to notify the school community of any changes in the masking requirement for the school building.
Is the district requiring masks for students and staff on district transportation?
Staff and students will be required to wear a face mask while riding school transportation in alignment with the CDC Order regarding public transportation. If the mask mandate requirement placed on transportation is lifted, we will modify expectations accordingly.
Is there guidance from the state regarding school-wide shutdowns for this year?
A maximum 14-day suspension of in-person learning may be recommended by the Department of Health if the following criteria are met:
- 5% of students/staff confirmed cases in the 14-day window:
- Small School (<500 staff & students): 25 cases threshold
- Medium School (500 - 900 staff & students): 25 - 45 case threshold
- Large School (900+ staff & students): 45+ case threshold
OR
- 3 simultaneous classroom and/or core group outbreaks
What size categories does each of our schools fall into?
ECC - Small
Elementary & High School - Large
Middle School - Medium
What timeframe does the COVID count on your website represent?
This school year (2022-2023) we have begun representing daily totals for both positive and probable cases in a graph to help parents better understand the curve and data over the 7-day period.
Probable/Symptom Information
When will my child need to stay home? For how long?
Please see the attached flow chart and read carefully the Vaccinated and Unvaccinated procedures. LINK
Who does the probable/symptoms group represent?
The probable/symptoms category includes all COVID related scenarios other than a positive case such as symptomatic, awaiting test result, close contact, probable case (as deemed by a physician), etc
Will my child be able to Zoom into their classes if they are at home for a positive COVID case or probable COVID case?
Yes, a student that is staying home for a positive COVID test or symptoms and feels well enough to join classes is able to join their classes via Zoom.
Please allow 1 business day for teachers to prepare for Zoom classes.
Rapid Antigen Testing
Can I get a copy of the testing consent form prior to symptoms or close contact?
No. Consents forms are only sent to the parents/guardians of students or staff members that are showing symptoms of COVID-19 at home or school or may have been exposed to COVID-19 at home or school but are not showing symptoms.
