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Return to Learn

Prince George County Public Schools
Return to Learn: Resuming Instruction Safely
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS        COVID-19 Dashboard
Updated: June 13, 2022 (Updated Weekly)
 
Total Cases Currently Completing Isolation Isolation Percentage
Since First Day of School*  Due to Testing Positive for
COVID-19
Percentage of PGCPS Population**
Currently Completing Isolation
1,357
5 0.07%
 
* First Day of School Date: September 7, 2021
** Includes Both Students and Employees
 
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS        POPULATION DATA 
Students: 6,250   Employees: 1,000
 Population Data Reflects Enrollment as of September 14, 2021
 
This dashboard will continue to evolve in an effort to provide the clearest information regarding the health of our school community.

The information provided is interim guidance for K-12 schools and is a supplement to VDH’s Exposed to COVID-19 and If you are sick web pages. VDH will update guidance for K-12 when CDC K-12 guidance becomes available.

What are the new Isolation and Quarantine guidelines from the CDC? (Last updated 12/30/21)
 
If you have a positive COVID-19 test, the isolation time has been shortened from the prior 10 days to 5 days, as long as:
  • You have no symptoms, or your symptoms are getting better.
  • You wear a well-fitting mask when you are around others for an additional 5 days after your isolation period ends.
  • Note: If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever is gone for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
 
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, the updated requirements for your quarantine period include:
  • If you are unvaccinated or have not yet gotten your recommended booster dose (more than 6 months since your second mRNA dose or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine), you should (1) quarantine for 5 days as long as you do not develop symptoms within that time and (2) wear a well-fitting mask for an additional 5 days when you are around others.
  • If you have received your booster shot or received your second mRNA dose within the last 6 months (or received a single J&J dose within the last 2 months), you do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a well- fitting mask for 10 days after the exposure when you are around others.
  • If you have been exposed, VDH recommends taking a COVID-19 test 5 days after exposure. (Due to testing limitations, a test within 3-5 days after an exposure is acceptable). If you do develop symptoms, you should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not from COVID-19.
 
Click HERE to read more of the VDH Isolation & Quarantine FAQs for K-12 Schools document from the Virginia Department of Health on their website.
 
How PGCPS Communicates a Positive Test:
 
Prince George County Public Schools is committed to protecting the health of our school community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of this is providing communications when someone may have been potentially exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with Virginia Department of Health guidelines, individuals who have been deemed to have been in close contact with a positive case of COVID-19 will be notified and asked to quarantine and monitor their health during this time. Close contact is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) as being within six feet of less of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes cumulatively over a 24-hour period.
 
Prince George County Public Schools is committed to protecting the privacy of our students and employees by continuing to closely adhere to guidelines put forth in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). As such, we will not disclose any potentially identifiable information regarding individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been asked to quarantine.
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A Message from Dr. Lisa Pennycuff, Division Superintendent

Pennycuff Headshot

January 21, 2022

Good afternoon Prince George Families, 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Prince George County Public Schools has been committed to establishing policies and procedures that support the health of our community, complying with all applicable laws and regulations, and providing choices to our families when possible. 

On Monday, we shared information with you regarding Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 2 (EO2), which provides parents with the ability to elect for their children not to be subject to the requirement to wear masks at the child’s school or education program. 

On Thursday evening, the Prince George School Board took action to continue to honor all applicable laws and regulations including Executive Order 2. 

The action included the following requirements:

  • Honor Executive Order 2 which allows parents to opt-out of whether their child wears a face covering at school beginning Monday, January 24th.
  • All students who use school transportation will continue to be required to wear a face covering while being transported due to the face covering order from the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This applies to passengers and drivers on school buses.
  • For those students whose parents opt them out of wearing masks, they will need to remain home for the full ten-day isolation period.  Or, the student can come back to school if they wear a mask for those additional 5 days (Days 6-10) following the original 5 day isolation period.  Recently, the CDC and VDH shortened the isolation time for those who tested positive for COVID-19, from the previously required 10 days to 5 days, so as long as the person had no symptoms, or symptoms are improving, and they wear a well-fitting mask when they return for an additional five days after their isolation ends. 

While EO2 does provide parents with the opportunity to opt-out of having their children wear masks at school, we ask that all members of our school community be respectful of the choices of others.  We ask that those who choose not to wear a mask be courteous and kind to others and consider wearing a mask when approaching a person who chooses to wear one.
 
Faculty, staff and visitors remain required to wear face coverings when visiting our school campuses. Our division continues to await further guidance as it relates to state and federal guidelines on face coverings for these individuals on school campuses, including Senate Bill 1303, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH), and the federal public health order as these still require individuals to wear a mask with limited exceptions. As further guidance is received, this will be revisited.  
 
Our division remains committed to protecting the health of our entire school community. We encourage our families to review the following information and resources relating to COVID-19:
  • COVID-19 Vaccines: While vaccinations are not required, we encourage our families to consider having their children vaccinated against COVID-19. The CDC reports COVID-19 vaccines have been effective at preventing serious illness from the virus and limiting the spread of COVID-19. Everyone age 5 and older is eligible to receive a vaccine.  To find a location close to you, visit http://vaccinate.virginia.gov

  • ViSSTA Testing Program: Last week, we shared with our families regarding the free, voluntary COVID-19 screening testing program for our students as part of the Virginia School Screening Testing for Assurance (ViSSTA) program through the Virginia Department of Health. This is a voluntary program and parents must complete a consent form for their child to participate. Screening testing can help identify infected people who may be contagious as early as possible so measures can be taken to keep the virus from spreading. For more information about this program, please visit our website by clicking HERE.

  • COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts: We continue to carry out robust cleaning on our campuses daily to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our district works closely alongside the Virginia Department of Health and Crater Health District in regards to contact tracing and other mitigation strategies. This partnership has helped our district do our very best to keep our school community safe since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will continue to monitor these areas and remain in regular communication with our local and state health partners for updates to ensure our campuses remain safe and healthy environments for our students to learn.

Thank you,

Lisa Pennycuff, Ed.D
Superintendent

A Message from Dr. Lisa Pennycuff, Division Superintendent

 
Pennycuff Headshot
September 8th, 2021
 
Dear Prince George Families,
 
Prince George County Public Schools’ faculty and staff are excited to welcome the children of Prince George County back to school for the 2021-2022 School Year.
 
After completing one of the most challenging school years in the history of public education, our school division looks toward the upcoming year with hope and optimism for a return to a new sense of normalcy for our students in their educational journey. The 2020-2021 School Year looked different for us as we adapted to the changing world presented to us due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students retained their desire for learning, navigating in-person and virtual instruction thanks to our dedicated faculty and staff who kept children engaged throughout the year.
 
For some of our students, September 7th marked the first time they have been inside their school’s classroom since the governor’s March 2020 closure of the Commonwealth’s school campuses in response to COVID-19, followed by a year of virtual instruction. As we welcome our students back to school, we want our families and community to be assured that great efforts to protect the health and safety of our school community are being taken. The district continues to have a strong working relationship with the Virginia Department of Health and the Crater Health District. Through this relationship, the health district has served as an advisor to PGCPS as we developed and implemented our health mitigation plan last year and for the upcoming year.
 
Alongside our regular communication with our local and state public health agencies, the district continues to monitor guidance from the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as we seek to provide safe learning environments for our students and staff.
Entering this year, Prince George County Public Schools is well-prepared to help our students get back on track with their learning. The SOL results from the previous year will inform the plans for instructional opportunities for learning during the 2021-2022 School Year.
 
We sincerely appreciate all of the Prince George County Public Schools’ faculty, administrators, instructional and support staff, and all those who help to make the start of the 2021-2022 School Year possible for our community.

We thank you, our families and community, for entrusting us with the responsibility of serving the educational needs of the children of Prince George County and wish everyone a happy, healthy, safe, and successful 2021-2022 School Year.
 
Thank you,
 
Lisa Pennycuff, Ed.D
Superintendent
 
“Have courage and be kind. Where there is kindness, there is goodness.” - Cinderella
 
Related COVID-19 Forms
2021-2022 School Year 'Return to Learn' Health Plan
[Archive] 2020-2021 School Year 'Return to Learn' Instruction, Health Plan
 
Vaccinate Virginia Logo
 
Vaccinate Virginia | Virginia Department of Health
VDH Health Information

'Return to Learn'
Resources

PGCPS Resources for 2021-22 School Year

 

PGCPS 2021-22 Health Mitigation Plan - 1.2022 (LINK)

 

State-Level Resources


Virginia Department of Education (LINK)

 

Interim Guidance to K-12 School Reopening (LINK, PDF)
Virginia Department of Education 

 

Virginia Department of Health - K-12 Resources (LINK)
Virginia Department of Education

 

COVID-19: A Parent Guide for School-Aged Children (LINK)
Virginia Department of Education

 

Health-Related Resources

 

VDH Crater Health District (LINK)

 

Virginia Department of Health (LINK)

 

Vaccinate Virginia (LINK)

 

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (LINK)

 

CDC: COVID-19 FAQ (LINK)

 

American Academy of Pediatrics (LINK)

 
This page will be updated regularly with new information. Please check back often for additional content, updates, and other resources.
VDH Safe Practices