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Blackstone‑Millville committee adopts COVID handbook updates to match DESE/CDC guidance
Summary
The school committee approved changes to the COVID handbook to align isolation, quarantine and testing language with recent DESE/CDC guidance — shortening isolation to five days with five days of strict masking and emphasizing recommended (but not required) testing on day five; the updates were adopted to help keep schools open amid high case counts.
On Jan. 6 the Blackstone‑Millville Regional School District school committee voted to adopt updates to the district COVID handbook to align with recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Superintendent Jason DeFalco told the committee the packet included a revised exposure/positive‑test protocol and a close‑contact protocol that reflect cuts to isolation time from 10 days to 5 days followed by 5 days of strict mask use. Nurse leader Karen Young summarized the changes: "CDC and then DESE came out with changes, cutting isolation time from 10 days to 5 days of isolation and 5 days of strict mask use," and said the handbook text replaces references to "10" with "5" where appropriate.
The updates also clarify return‑to‑school testing expectations: vaccinated, symptom‑free close contacts are not required to quarantine or test but testing on day five is recommended; symptomatic close contacts should test; unvaccinated symptomatic close contacts are recommended to get PCR testing; the district will accept PCR and antigen tests, including at‑home antigen tests, though PCR is preferred. Jason DeFalco said DESE guidance makes testing optional for return, calling it "recommended, but not required." He added the district will re‑send parental consent forms needed for in‑school testing because unsigned consents have slowed the ability to test symptomatic students promptly.
Chair Jane Reggio entertained a motion to accept the handbook changes; Tim Howell moved and the motion was seconded and approved. The formal vote tally was not read aloud on the record.
The superintendent and nurse emphasized operational limits: the district's "test and stay" supplies are restricted to state program uses and symptomatic students with parental consent and cannot be used for general surveillance testing. Officials said they would monitor the situation and revisit policies as case counts change. The committee adopted the handbook updates to provide consistent expectations to families, staff and coaches and to reduce disruptions to in‑person learning.
