During the 2022-2023 school year, we will continue to focus on COVID mitigation strategies to support the safety, health, and well-being of our students and staff. 

Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) is required to follow California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines, as well as those of our local Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA). Current recommendations include:

Monitoring of COVID symptoms

• Students and staff will self-monitor COVID symptoms. Anyone who is feeling ill should stay home and take a COVID test. Rapid antigen COVID tests will be available at all school sites. 
• Students or staff who test positive should report the positive results to the school and stay home for 5 days. 
  • Following day 5, any student or staff member may return to school once they test negative. It is recommended to wear a mask for a total of 10 days after testing positive. 
  • Any individual who continues to test positive may return to school 10 days after symptom onset or initially testing positive. 
  • During an absence due to a positive COVID test, students will have an opportunity to complete school work in alignment with our regular illness policy.

Availability of COVID tests at school sites

• Optional Rapid Antigen COVID Testing is encouraged for all students prior to the start of school.  Each school site will have tests available and will communicate details about test pick-up times at the school site. 
• Rapid antigen COVID test kits will continue to be available in the office at all school sites for the use of students and faculty, as needed.  

Communication

• A general notification will be provided to the entire school community regarding elevated positive COVID cases; elevated cases occur when there are more than three positive cases reported in a classroom within a 14-day period. 
• Current COVID recommendations and guidelines can be located on this page (SVUSD’s COVID-19 page) and is accessible via our SVUSD website.
• The COVID Dashboard will be updated weekly.
• SVUSD will continue to communicate to our community timely updates of any changes in CDPH and OCHCA recommendations, should they occur. 

Masks are not required

Current CDPH guidance provides for optional masking for students, staff, and visitors while at school or participating in school-related activities. 

• No person will be prevented from wearing a mask.  
• For those that wish to wear a mask but do not have one or have forgotten it at home, a mask will be provided upon request. 

Indoor Air Quality

SVUSD continues to optimize the air quality within our buildings and learning spaces. 

• All HVAC systems undergo twice yearly maintenance including installation of new HEPA filters and cleaning. 
• Air purifiers are installed throughout school campuses; the units and filters were cleaned this summer per manufacturer specifications. 
• Air quality testing occurs throughout the school year. 

Clean Hands

Students, staff, and visitors are encouraged to maintain clean hands through proper hand-washing techniques.  Hand-washing is available in restrooms, hand-washing stations, and in many of our classrooms. Hand-sanitizer will be readily available and accessible. 

Volunteers/Visitors

• Raptor System
  • All Volunteers/Visitors must check-in at the front office.
  • Your ID will be run through the Raptor System and you will be provided a sticker ID that must be worn at all times on campus.
  • Visitors/Volunteers without a Raptor ID sticker will be redirected to the front office by a school staff member.  
• Volunteers and Visitors are not required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test.

Pick-up/Drop-Off at Elementary Schools

In an effort to increase school safety, pick-up and drop-off areas will be designated at all of our elementary school sites. 

• 15 minutes prior to the start of school, designated drop-off area(s) will be open to families and caregivers. We ask all family members to please exit the school campus within 10 minutes of school starting, unless they have checked in at the school office for scheduled volunteering.

15 minutes prior to the end of the school day, designated pick-up area(s) will re-open. We ask that family members remain in those areas while waiting to pick-up their student(s). 

 

The District is excited for the support provided to our students by wonderful volunteers. The District must comply with CAL-OSHA workplace requirements. These requirements outline volunteer COVID protocols. 

Volunteers must:

• complete HR volunteer paperwork at: https://www.svusd.org/departments/human-resources/school-volunteer-screening
• register through Raptor upon arriving at campus