Updated Healthy @ SchoolThe Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), in consultation with the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), has updated the flagship Healthy at School guidance based on the latest information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Temperature screening expectations have been changed to state that only symptomatic students need to be screened for fever. These criteria also must be in place for staff.

The updates, found on Pages 14 and 17, indicate that routine temperature screenings prior to school or bus entry are not required. Students who exhibit symptoms of illness while at school should have their temperature taken as part of a physical assessment completed by school staff.

Students with a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees should follow the isolation criteria as described on Page 16 of Healthy at School. School health policies should include instructions for parents to keep students at home if they meet any of the exclusion criteria for COVID-19 listed on page 15 of Healthy at School.

The new guidance has also been updated in the “KDE COVID-19 Guidance 2.0,” which presents the most up-to-date guidance for teaching, learning, and operating schools and districts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Language was changed throughout the document to reflect new guidance related to temperature screening. Schools are no longer expected to screen students for temperatures before entering buildings or riding the school bus. Schools should continue to monitor student temperatures as part of the standard physical assessment given to students displaying symptoms of infectious disease. These updates can be found on Pages 107 to 109.

Language also was changed throughout the document to clarify minor inconsistencies related to quarantine procedures. Schools and districts should defer to the discretion and judgement of local health departments when creating quarantine protocols. These updates can be found on Pages 10 and 11.

Guidance from the CDC may continue to change as the pandemic evolves, and as it does, KDE and DPH will continue to update Kentucky’s Healthy at School guidance and other COVID-19 guidance documents.

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