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Pasco School District has implemented several safety measures and protocols due to COVID-19. We want to emphasize that the most important methods of preventing COVID-19 include getting vaccinated, wearing face masks/coverings, maintaining a distance of 6 feet from others, washing hands frequently and staying home when feeling ill.

Please click on the tabs below for more information about COVID-19 activity, daily student health screenings, masks, school cleaning and sanitizing, and more.

Pasco School District's COVID-19 Dashboard summarizies data reported by staff, families, and the Benton-Franklin Health District (BFHD) regarding enrolled students and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are (or were scheduled to be) physically present at district locations during their infectious period.

When there is a confirmed case, the school's COVID Support Team completes the necessary investigation and makes required notifications. The district regularly meets with BFHD to review case rates, COVID protocols, and safety recommendations.

COVID-19 Notification Protocols

COVID-19 Notifications of Reported Positive Cases
When the school district receives notice of a confirmed case of COVID-19 for a staff member or student in one of its buildings, the school district will complete a case investigation and notify high-risk individuals if there was a potential exposure identified. The school district will also post information about confirmed cases on this page.

Case Investigations
The Benton-Franklin Health District partners with the school district to conduct case investigations, when necessary, following the DOH's Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools. As outlined in this guide, close contacts are generally defined as follows:

Classroom or School Closure
It may be necessary to temporarily close a classroom or school for cleaning and sanitizing. If this occurs, families and staff will be notified and further information will be provided about how classes will be conducted during that time.

Per Benton-Franklin Health District (BFHD), a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in a school when there are two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff with onsets within a 14-day period, who are epidemiologically linked, do not share a household, and were not identified as close contacts of each other in another setting during standard case investigation or contact tracing.

In case of an outbreak, the district will work with BFHD to determine if transmission is occurring in the school. The following will be considered to determine the need to close a classroom or school:

• There is a rapid increase in cases
• A prolonged chain of transmission (two or more outbreak generations) is believed to occur in the school.
• School cannot function due to insufficient teaching or support staff.

Benton-Franklin Health District COVID-19 Dashboard

View the Benton-Franklin Health District COVID-19 Dashboard HERE (NOTE: The latest 14-day rate per 1,000 people can be found on page two of the graph)

Each day that a student attends classes at their school, families or caregivers must conduct a COVID-19 screening. The screening must occur before school, including before the student rides the bus or engages in any school activity. 

To complete the daily health screening, the parent, guardian or care giver must ask these questions each day the child will attend in-person classes:

• Is the child currently waiting for a COVID-19 test result?
• Has the child tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 10 days?
• Has the child been told by a medical professional to isolate or quarantine?
• Since the child last attended school, has the child experienced any of the following symptoms (not related to a pre-existing condition):
  • Fever (100.4 F or higher) or chills
  • Cough (new, changed, or worsening)
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 
  • Unusual fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache 
  • New loss of taste or smell 
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea (two or more loose stools in 24 hrs.)

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, the student is required to stay home. Contact the school to excuse the absence and tell the school the child did not pass the health screening. A member of the school’s COVID-19 support team will contact you to determine when the child can return to school. 

A parent, guardian, or care giver who sends a child to school attests that the answer to all of these questions is “no” and that the child has passed the daily health screening. 

If Your Child Has or Develops COVID-19 Symptoms While at School

As parents and guardians, we ask that you take responsibility for making sure that your child remains at home when feeling ill. If your child is sent to school while ill or develops COVID-19 symptoms while at school, they will be immediately isolated, you will be required to pick them up, and they may not be allowed to return to school until they meet the return-to-school criteria.

Please review the latest Return to School Guidance from the WA State Department of Health HERE.

COVID-19 Testing

One of the best ways to decrease the spread of COVID-19 is to get tested. Getting tested does NOT increase the amount of disease in our community. Adequate testing allows for early identification of cases, quick isolation and decreases transmission rates. The district offers FREE testing to all students and staff - for more information on testing within the district, check out our COVID-19 Testing Information webpage. For the latest information about community testing sites and available free testing, check the Benton-Franklin Health District website.

Note: COVID-19 information is subject to change as new guidance is provided.

COVID-19 Online Resources

Benton-Franklin Health District (BFHD) - Coronavirus Information

BFHD: Updated Health Officer Recommendation on Reopening Schools (October 13, 2020)

BFHD: Reopening Schools Recommendation (September 14, 2020)

WA State Department of Health (DOH) - Coronavirus Information

DOH: Requirements and Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools

DOH: COVID-19 Symptom Decision Trees for Schools

Washington State Coronavirus Information Website

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Coronavirus Resources

A mask is: a tightly woven cloth face covering that covers both your nose and mouth. It can be:

• A sewn mask with ties or straps that go around the head or behind the ears.
• Made from a variety of materials like cotton, fleece or linen.
• Factory-made or home-made.

CDC: Your Guide to Masks

Wearing a mask is easy once you know how:

• Wash your hands before putting on your face covering.
• Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.
• Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face.
• Make sure you can breathe easily.
• Try not to touch the face covering and hold by elastic around the ears instead. If you do accidentally, wash your hands. 

CDC Infographic: How to Wear & Take Off a Mask

Hand Washing & Hygiene

Teachers will communicate, educate and reinforce appropriate hygiene, frequent handwashing and social distancing practices in ways that are developmentally appropriate for students. Hand sanitizer will be available if hand washing is not possible. 

Cleaning Protocols

Custodians will perform daily cleaning/sanitizing of bathrooms, office counters, and high-touch surfaces. Additionally, custodians will routinely clean other identified/prioritized surfaces such as door push plates, door handles, sinks, water fountains, hand railings, etc. 

An isolation room is provided for students who become ill at school where they can safely wait to be picked up by a parent/guardian. Once empty, the isolation room will be sanitized. Staff members will leave the campus if they are feeling ill. 

Confirmed case of COVID-19 Cleaning Protocols

Cleaning and disinfection protocols following notification of a positive COVID-19 case will comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.

Personal Protective Equipment

Available school PPE includes:

• Plexi-glass shields for all public-facing /walk-up secretary service windows 
• Disposable masks at building entry points for individuals in need of face coverings
• Hand sanitizer stations close to the walk-up service window(s)
• Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in the office area, health room and isolation room
• Hand sanitizer stations placed at multiple locations throughout the school buildings, including dry portable classrooms. 
• Every classroom is equipped with hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes

Restocking Classroom Supplies

If a classroom teacher needs to replenish their classroom supplies, the teacher will contact the designated building secretary or administrator. Each building has a stock of gloves, disinfectant wipes, sanitizer and spray to replenish classrooms. When a building needs to replenish their building stock, the building secretary will contact the district PPE team. The district maintains a stock of items in the warehouse and continues to order stock as needed. 

Please contact a member of your school’s COVID-19 Support Team for any of the following:

• If a student has tested positive for COVID-19;
• If a student has had a close contact with someone with COVID-19 AND has COVID-19 symptoms;
• If a student does not pass any one of the daily health screening questions; 
• If you need to know what date a student may return to school after they quarantine.