As of August 13, 2021, masks or face coverings (or face shields as an approved accommodation) are required in all indoor spaces in the state of Oregon. Read the full Oregon Administrative Rule here. Per the statewide indoor mask mandate, both vaccinated and unvaccinated people are required to wear face coverings when indoors. Also, per the federal law, people are required to wear face coverings on district buses, vans, and transportation at all times. 

Following is more information on how schools will ensure that all individuals, including but not limited to staff, students, contractors and visitors wear a mask when in an indoor setting:

○ At school during regular school hours (this includes parent functions, theatre presentations, staff meetings, etc. that are indoors);

○ Engaged in educational activities such as field trips or off-campus classes during regular school hours; and

○ At school engaged in educational activities outside of regular school hours.

○ A face shield may be worn if an individual cannot mask for medical reasons as an approved accommodation only.

An individual is not required to wear a mask if the individual is:

○ Actively eating or drinking.

○ Sleeping.

○ Playing a musical instrument that requires using the mouth.

○ Engaged in a sport during physical education class such as swimming, other water sports, or one where wearing a mask could be a strangulation hazard such as gymnastics or wrestling.

○ In a private, individual workspace. Defined as an indoor space within a school used for work by one individual at a time that is enclosed on all sides with walls from floor to ceiling and with a closed door.

○ Is performing, including but not limited to playing music, delivering a speech to an audience, and theater.

○ Is under five years of age; unless an individual is using public transportation including school buses in which case an individual under two years of age is not required to wear a mask.

○ Children under 5 who are learning in preschool classrooms that operate in school settings are not required to wear face coverings. In any early learning program serving 0 to 5 year olds, students are not required to wear a face covering.

○ Is practicing or playing a competitive extracurricular sport at any level.

Group face mask breaks or full classroom mask breaks should be done outdoors where ventilation and physical distancing are maximized. 

On September 3, 2021, OHA updated OAR 333-019-1015 requiring face coverings in all K-12 indoor and outdoor settings. All individuals 5 years of age and older are to wear a face covering outdoors when individuals cannot or do not consistently maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from people not in their household.

This update means that when our students are outside for any school-related activity (including recess) and cannot maintain at least 6 feet of distance between themselves, they will need to wear masks. Students will be told by their teachers that we will start implementing this rule immediately, effective September 10, 2021. 

Cohorting refers to establishing a consistent group of students that stays together for a significant portion of the school day. LOSD elementary schools will continue to use classroom cohorts and math cohorts, which have been practiced for academic purposes for many years. Recess will be with other classrooms. LOSD middle or high schools will not require cohorts.

Physical distancing of 3 feet will be maintained to the extent possible. Students and staff will be asked to be mindful of physical distancing throughout the school day. Physical distancing will not restrict activities such as collaborative projects, active play, recess, lunch, and passing periods.

During meal time, physical distancing of 6 feet will be maintained. Students will be eating lunch outside as often as possible. When we do have to eat inside, due to rain or other weather related conditions, classes will spread out into the hallways or outside structures, depending on the set up of the school, to ensure 6 feet of distance is maintained between unmasked individuals.

Schools will minimize time students are standing in lines and take steps to ensure that required distance between students is maintained.  To decrease the risk of having to quarantine, unvaccinated students will maintain 6 feet of distance from others, unless in the classroom where it is 3 feet with consistent mask wearing.

Meals will be eaten outside, weather permitting, as much as possible.

Sharing of food and drinks among students is prohibited. 

At designated meal or snack times, students may remove their face coverings to eat or drink but must maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from others, and must put face coverings back on after finishing the meal or snack. To decrease the risk of having to quarantine, maintain 6 feet of distance.

Students are to wash hands before eating and after eating. 

Protocols and systems are implemented to ensure access to soap, water, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol available throughout LOSD school buildings. Schools will prioritize handwashing with soap and water after students or staff use the restroom and throughout the day, as appropriate.

Regular cleaning procedures are implemented in all LOSD buildings. Special attention is given to high touch surfaces. Classroom outbreaks of COVID-19 result in comprehensive disinfection of associated areas, per CDC guidance.

Products and equipment

Electrostatic disinfectant equipment is used at each facility. This equipment allows custodial staff to rapidly clean areas of the building with full coverage of all surfaces. Our staff is trained to use the equipment 

Disinfectant spray is available in every classroom along with microfiber cloth rags for application 

HVAC systems have been programmed in all LOSD buildings to provide increased outside air volumes, increased exhaust, and increased frequency of system filter replacement. Also, ionization units have been installed in all of our schools. The ionization equipment improves indoor air by reducing airborne particles, including odors, viruses and bacteria. 

Building air purging will occur prior to occupying each day and during morning/afternoon transition, this process schedules our mechanical equipment to activate and bring in outside air.

Building automation systems have been modified to bring in higher volumes of fresh outside air into occupied spaces. Building exhaust systems have also been programmed to increase exhaust and maintain constant exhaust. 

Occupants are still encouraged to open windows to provide additional outside air. 

Building mechanical systems have been enhanced with ionization devices throughout the district. The technology produces a high concentration of positive and negative ions into the space. Within the air stream, ions attach to particles, where they combine, become larger and are more easily filtered from the air. When ions come in contact with pathogens, they disrupt the pathogens’ surface proteins, rendering them inactive. Through the needlepoint bipolar ionization or NPBI^® technology, clean indoor air is delivered — producing neither ozone nor other harmful byproducts.  

Stand alone HEPA filtration units have been installed in all of our health rooms.  

Signs of illness screening for students:

Parents-guardians are asked to screen their student for signs of illness before student is sent or brought to school. Additionally, the following screening is implemented:

• Visual screening of student signs of illness by bus driver
• Visual screening of student signs of illness by school staff as students enter the building
• Visual screening of student signs of illness by teachers or other school staff during attendance in the classroom

Any individual who feels that they are unwell, or if they have signs of illness, will be referred to the school office for a more in-depth screening. Thermometers are available for any individual who requests or requires a temperature screening

Individuals who have the primary symptoms of COVID-19, or any other communicable disease symptoms will be sent home

Click here: COVID-19 Exposure Response Protocol

Communicable disease protocols, as mandated by public health policy, will be followed in the event of an exposure.

Isolation is what a person with COVID-19 must do: If a student or adult tests positive for COVID-19, they must isolate for 10 days (from when symptoms started, or when they tested positive if no symptoms), and be fever-free for 24 hours, and symptoms have to be improving.

Quarantine is what a person who is considered a close contact of someone with COVID-19 must do:  If a person in our schools is diagnosed with COVID-19, we work with our local health authorities to conduct contact tracing to identify close contacts and to confirm quarantine requirements. 

A close contact is a person who has been within 6 feet of someone who has covid for 15 or more cumulative minutes within 24 hours. 

Unvaccinated students and adults do need to quarantine if they have been a close contact to someone with COVID-19.  In Clackamas County, quarantine is recommended for 14 days from the exposure. It can be reduced to 10 days if there are no symptoms (continue to monitor for symptoms for 4 more days.).

Exempt from quarantine: Vaccinated students and adults do not have to quarantine if they have been a close contact to someone with COVID-19.  If they start to have any illness symptoms they should stay home and the CDC recommends COVID-19 testing on day 3-5 after exposure.

Exempt from quarantine: Unvaccinated students who are confirmed to be at least 3 feet away from an infected student in the classroom with both students consistently wearing masks. These students should carefully monitor for any illness symptoms and stay home at the first sign of illness.

Exempt from quarantine: Students and adults who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days do not have to quarantine.

When a student might be a close contact:

• School athletics. Athletes are not required to wear a mask while in play; they are expected to wear a mask when on the sidelines and before and after sporting events and practices. If a teammate is diagnosed with COVID-19, all athletes, staff and volunteers will be asked to quarantine unless they show proof of full vaccination. If fully vaccinated, players, staff and volunteers may continue to participate but need to monitor closely for symptoms. 
• Busing. Bus logs of riders are kept by our schools. In the event a rider is diagnosed with COVID-19, the bus camera recordings will be reviewed to see who was sitting next to the person. Any unvaccinated person sitting within 6 ft of the person diagnosed with COVID-19 will be asked to quarantine. All others on the bus are not asked to quarantine but need to monitor closely for symptoms. This is different from the spring, when then all on a bus were required to quarantine regardless of proximity.
• Below is a graphic showing a possible quarantine scenario on a bus. The red dot is a person diagosed with COVID-19 and required to isolate. The blue dots are people who are within 6 feet and are required to quarantine.

For what happens when a student or adult is quarantined, please review: LOSD Quarantine Plan

Click here to find a COVID-19 testing site near you. 

In order to minimize exposure in schools, LOSD is temporarily suspending nonessential visitors and volunteers onsite during school hours. Itinerant staff, substitute teachers and staff, and volunteers enabling school operations are considered essential. The visitor and volunteer suspension will be reviewed monthly and adjustments will be made as needed.

Visitor sign-in:  Essential visitors are expected to sign-in when entering a  school building using the Raptor system.

Face coverings are mandatory for those age 2 and over riding a school bus until the requirement is lifted by the federal government.

Buses are cleaned and disinfected using commercial grade products such as Touch Point wipes, Avistat-D and Lemon Quat spray.  All seats and high-touch surfaces are wiped thoroughly with these products after each trip.

Staff members will receive a log of students who are on the bus.

Staff members must scan and send all bus logs to the LOSD bus log and Ridesta bus log email addresses listed on their copier. 

Quarantine in the event of an exposure on the bus: Bus logs of riders are kept by schools. In the event a rider is diagnosed with COVID-19, the bus camera recordings will be reviewed to see who was sitting within a 6 ft diameter of the person diagnosed with COVID-19. Any unvaccinated person sitting within 6 ft of the person diagnosed with COVID-19 will be asked to quarantine. All others on the bus are not asked to quarantine but need to monitor closely for symptoms. This is different from the spring, when then all on a bus were required to quarantine regardless of proximity.