What to know about COVID rules as first day of school approaches for Fresno, Clovis

Despite “widespread” COVID-19 transmission in Fresno County over the past two months, none of the largest local schools plan to reinstate mask mandates for the first day of the upcoming 2022-23 school year.

Dr. John Zweifler, a public health physician with the Fresno County Department of Public Health, said Fresno would be sticking with the California Department of Public Health’s K-12 guidance. Released June 30, the guidelines offer a “strong recommendation” that masking continues indoors but stop short of suggesting another mandate.

“Schools are inherently high-risk settings because they are indoors, crowded, and many who attend school are unvaccinated,” Zweifler said in an email to The Bee’s Education Lab. “For these reasons, the FCDPH concurs with a strong recommendation that everyone, including staff and students, wear a face covering, and in particular, that they use a well-fitting mask such as a KN95 which can protect you from getting COVID-19, as well as from spreading it to others.”

In June, Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay Area was the first major county in the state to reinstate a mask mandate since the winter surge fueled by the Omicron variant. Some campuses followed suit, including two colleges in the University of California system. So did San Diego Unified School District on July 15, triggered by high COVID-19 community levels.

Fresno County’s health department defines “widespread” COVID-19 transmission as a positive test percentage of more than 8% and a daily count of more than 10 new cases per 100,000 people in the county. The positivity rate was approximately 20% and cases per day were about 40 for the week of July 26, with each metric climbing since June 6.

But the consensus among major Fresno County schools is that public health leaders in Fresno County have yet to signal that reintroducing mask mandates is a good idea, and schools are following the department’s lead.

“Central Unified School District will continue following guidance set by our local health department. Currently, facemasks are strongly recommended, but not required,” said Central Unified district spokesperson Gilbert Magallon in an email to the Ed Lab.

That sentiment was echoed by spokespersons from other K-12 districts across the county, where masks have been a source of controversy for over two years.

Local colleges like Fresno State and Fresno City College, which have stricter COVID-19 vaccine policies than local K-12 districts, are also refraining from enforcing masks, at least for now.

Check the table for your school’s masking and vaccine requirements below.

If you’re a K-12 student in Fresno

Masks are not currently required for students at Fresno, Clovis, Central, or Sanger Unified.

Students at Clovis Unified still have the “option” to wear a mask at school but are “not specifically recommended,” said district spokesperson Kelly Avants in an email to the Ed Lab.

Clovis, Central and Fresno spokespersons emphasized their district can supply masks to students who request them while staying attuned to updates from Fresno’s health department.

“We will continue to monitor as we have since day one all changes to any requirements from our County Health Department and will continue to work closely with our parents on any changes to the guidelines,” said Sanger Unified spokesperson Cary Catalano in an email to the Ed Lab.

If you’re a college student in Fresno

Masks aren’t required at Fresno State or campuses like Fresno and Clovis City College in the State Center Community College District.

Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of SCCCD, said the district is still strongly encouraging folks on their campuses not just to mask but to opt for “high filtering face masks such as N-95 and KN-95 masks” indoors, she said in an email to the Ed Lab.

Fresno State will provide students with masks “at no cost,” according to university spokesperson Lisa Bell.

What about vaccines?

No major K-12 school district in Fresno County is requiring COVID-19 vaccines for students at this time.

That falls in line with current guidelines from the California Department of Public Health, which announced in April that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed vaccine mandate for schoolchildren wouldn’t be implemented until July 2023, a department release said.

Meanwhile, employees in California schools have been required to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing to work in person since an August 2021 public health order from the state’s health department.

Fresno State and the SCCCD have also had vaccine mandates in place for all students, staff, and visitors on their campuses since last summer, with the option of regular testing for those who qualify for a vaccine exemption.

Vaccine requirements at colleges and universities around the U.S. have effectively reduced COVID-19 cases and deaths, according to a recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Zweifler said the state and county health departments recommend everyone, including school-aged children, get vaccinated, especially with the BA5 variant in circulation statewide.

“Updated vaccines that provide broader coverage against the newer COVID-19 variants are anticipated in the fall, which is another excellent reason to plan to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months,” he said.

What other COVID precautions are in place at my school?

Many school leaders said their sites would continue with updated sanitation practices.

“We will also continue to optimize our heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems to bring in as much fresh air into our buildings as is practicable and we will continue to use high filtering efficiency MERV-13 filters,” Goldsmith said.

Several leaders also highlighted the resources they will continue to provide students, such as masks and hand sanitizer.

In Clovis, Avants said the district has several protocols in place when a student tests positive, including an on-call “sanitizing team” and notification to teachers through the district’s attendance system. The district is also finalizing protocols for volunteers on their campuses that “reflects similar expectations as those established for employees,” she said.

It’s still up in the air whether Clovis Unified will maintain a dashboard tracking COVID cases within the district this school year, Avants added. Fresno Unified has “retired” their dashboard and encourages families to track cases through the county health department “as our schools often mirror the community,” district spokesperson Nikki Henry said in a text message to the Ed Lab. Central Unified spokespersons could not immediately be reached for comment on the status of the district’s dashboard.

Central Unified continues to recommend parents self-screen their students for symptoms and make use of the district’s testing center. Families can sign their students up for an appointment on centralunified.org, according to Magallon.

Zweifler said that moving school activities outdoors when possible “dramatically reduces the risk of transmitting COVID-19.”

That has been another source of controversy in Fresno Unified after anti-mask protesters began taking photos and videos of students eating outdoors at the district’s Dailey Elementary Charter School in March.

The option for Fresno Unified students to eat outside depends on each school and its “supervision capacity,” while no district-wide policy exists, according to Henry.

Avants said Clovis Unified high schools and middle schools “always have an indoor/outdoor meal option,” while at elementary schools it’s up to each school depending on weather, air quality and supervision availability each day.

Zweifler also stressed the importance of reminding students and staff to stay home and get tested if they are sick.

The SCCCD and Central Unified both start classes next week, on Aug. 8 and 10, respectively.

The following week, Fresno Unified will begin the 2022-23 semester on Aug. 15 and Sanger Unified on Aug. 17.

Three weeks from now, Clovis Unified and Fresno State both start classes again on Aug. 22.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab at its website.