Greencastle Superintendent Jeff Gibboney emailed parents about updates to to the Covid-19 Return to In-Person Instruction plan.

Greencastle Community School Corporation has noticed a steady decrease or drop in the number of cases of Covid-19 in each of the schools. Gibboney also noted the Covid-19 vaccine is officially approved for students age 5 and older. With the vaccine update and the declining cases, GCSC is rewarding the improved situation with a slightly relaxed policy update, which will take effect on Wednesday, January 5, 2021.

Masks will still be required on buses per federal mandate. However, they will not be required in GCSC facilities, though they will be highly recommended.

Schools with a weekly covid-19 positivity rate about 5% will be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Once the positivity rate drops back below 4%, those schools can resume the relaxed mask mandate.

In the event of quarantine, parents and guardians will be notified if there student had been in close contact. Close contact will continue to be defined as an individual who spent 15 minutes or more, over a 24 hour period, and were within 3-6 foot, of a person who tested positive of Covid-19. Quarantine procedures will continue to be followed with notable exceptions. If the student can provide proof of vaccination or can provide proof of an independent positive covid-19 with the last 90 day, they will not need to quarantine.

Gibboney’s email also went on to explain students with parental consent will be eligible for free BinaxNOW rapid testing by trained GCSC clinic staff, starting November 15, 2021. Students showing symptoms, verified by clinic staff, will receive results within 15 minutes. Rapid testing is believed to help reduce the spread of covid-19 in the school system.

Superintendent Gibboney also noted the Covid-19 Dashboard will still be updated weekly and on the GCSC website. However, beginning in January, the Covid-19 Dashboard will be listed by individual schools.

Even with the relaxed updates coming in January, parents, guardians, and students are asked to continue the already established mitigation procedures of screening students before sending them to school.