Health Protocols 2022-2023

Vaccinations

PPS encourages students and staff to stay up to date with vaccinations and boosters. 

• The Princeton Health Department (PHD) and PPS promote equitable access to vaccinations and will continue to advertise PHD clinics and run PPS/PHD joint vaccine clinics.

*Stay Home
When Sick

To prevent the spread of all illnesses, it is critical that students and staff stay home when symptomatic. 

Get tested and contact your healthcare professional as needed. 

Students and staff experiencing the following symptoms need to stay home until symptoms are resolved. If they test positive for COVID-19 stay home for 5 days, returning on day 6 wearing a mask for days 6 through 10.

Respiratory or gastrointestinal infections such as:

• Cough

• Fever

• Sore throat

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• New loss of taste or smell

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue 

• Muscle or body aches 

Please report illnesses following guidance on the district webpage. Report a Student Absence.

*Parental Symptom Screening

Parents and family caregivers are strongly encouraged to closely monitor their children for signs of illness every morning before they leave for school.

Do not send your child to school if they have a fever.

Please review your child’s school website weekly principal’s newsletter for information about reporting absences. 

Our nurses will continue to monitor all contagious illness. Thank you for your support and continued cooperation.

Parents are also encouraged to reach out to their school nurse with questions.

Masking

• Masks are recommended but not required for PPS students and staff. Those who are immunocompromised or at risk for getting very sick should consider masking. 

• Any student or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to mask on days 6 through day 10, when returning to school after the 5-day isolation period ends.   

• PPS does not anticipate mandatory masking. Though, during times of high community transmission level and increased spread in classes or schools, masking decisions will be made following the advice of the Princeton Health Dept. and our school physician.

COVID testing

Regardless of vaccination status, students and staff who experience symptoms of COVID-19 must test, and if positive, isolate for 5 days.

• If symptoms resolve, the student or staff may return on day 6, wearing a mask on days 6 through day 10. 

• If a student is unwilling to mask on days 6 through day 10, they must stay home and return on day 11. 

• Students with disabilities that impact mask wearing will be supported on an individual basis. 

Classroom notifications

If a student tests positive for COVID, PPS will notify parents and classmates in the same way that the district notifies parents of other contagious illnesses.

Contact Tracing

Individual contact tracing in schools is no longer recommended by the CDC or the NJ Dept. of Health.

Remote learning

• PPS will return to pre-pandemic policies for students who are ill. Students should access their teachers’ Canvas pages and make-up work will be provided. There will not be an individual remote-learning option.   

• If the district or a school must switch to remote learning due to a public health emergency, remote instruction will be provided.

*Unvaccinated Students

Unvaccinated student no longer need to quarantine after a close contact. Please monitor your student closely for symptoms and test for COVID-19 after an exposure to keep them and your family safe.

Screening
Testing

• Routine screening testing in K-12 schools is no longer recommended by the CDC.

• On 8/15/22, Governor Murphy lifted the requirement that unvaccinated school staff members must test weekly for COVID-19. PPS will no longer test staff weekly.

Ventilation

• Ventilation and air purification , as well as ongoing monitoring of the schools' indoor air quality, will continue to be a key part of PPS preventative protocols.