Dear Sacramento City Unified Family,

As our SCUSD community comes back together for the next three weeks of school, we are reminding all students, staff and families about the importance of adhering to all COVID-19 health and safety mitigation measures. The layered mitigation approach has been effective in slowing and stopping the spread of COVID-19. 

The SCUSD Vaccine Mandate includes these same key mitigation measures, with a focus on increasing vaccination rates in our community to protect the health and well-being of our students, staff and community and ensure our schools remain open for in-person learning.  If you have not done so yet, please report your students’ vaccination status here.  Those with an approved exemption will be required to register for regular, routine COVID-19 testing.  

• Get a Vaccination: All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in California are safe and effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19. Californians ages 5 and older are now eligible for vaccination and those 18+ are eligible for a booster dose.  Visit https://www.scusd.edu/vaccinations to learn about all the local vaccine clinic options available within the SCUSD community.  
• Get a Test: If you are feeling any symptoms — regardless of your vaccination status — you  should be tested for COVID-19. COVID-19 symptoms can feel like a common cold (including just “the sniffles”), seasonal allergies or flu. SCUSD offers free COVID testing at all SCUSD schools and Mon-Fri from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at the Serna Center.  Staff and students not yet fully vaccinated with an approved exemption will be tested on a regular and routine basis.
• Wear Masks: Everyone must wear a mask in K-12 schools, child care settings, on public transit (airports, planes, trains, buses, stations), and in healthcare settings.  
• Stay Home if Sick: Stay home if you are feeling sick.  Follow the Return to Health “Appendix B – Illness and Symptoms Guidelines for Staff and Students“ guidance for when you may return to work or school after an illness.

We will continue to follow developments about the Omicron variant, ensuring SCUSD stays current with public health guidance to keep our school communities safe and our students learning. Please see information issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) about the Omicron variant and tips about keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe by focusing on vaccination, testing, face masking and staying home sick. 

We have been through many challenges these past few years, and have learned that we need to stay flexible and responsive to the changing conditions of the pandemic.  We have gotten through several waves of this COVID-19 pandemic by relying on our layered mitigation measures and current public health science and guidance.  As we face these uncertain times we stay strong in our resolve to do everything in our power to keep our communities safe, well, and learning.

Thank you.