Waukesha School District Ends Quarantines For Students Exposed To COVID-19

The School District of Waukesha has loosened its coronavirus policy, eliminating quarantine requirements for students and staff who come into close contact with people who have tested positive for the virus.

During a special meeting Tuesday, the school board voted 5-4 to change its policy and immediately bring back students who are in quarantine. As of this week, that’s about 130 students, said district Deputy Superintendent Joe Koch.

Students and staff are free to self-quarantine.

The change in Waukesha comes at a time when children now represent a rising proportion — 22 percent — of new coronavirus cases in the United States. But proponents of the change say quarantining students has hurt their ability to learn.

“At this point, there may not be a consensus, but there is a large body of opinion that says virtual learning does not work for our students,” said board member Corey Montiho, who has tried at previous meetings to amend the district’s quarantine policy. “This is an adjustment that doesn’t come out of left field, it has a factual and a scientific basis.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health Services recommend contract tracing, quarantining and isolating students who come in contact with people who have COVID-19. Waukesha Superintendent James Sebert said the district will still use contract tracing.

The school district has quarantined more than 8,300 students this year, with about 3 percent ultimately testing positive for COVID-19.

When the board announced the change, audience members in Waukesha cheered. When board members asked for feedback from the superintendent’s office about alternatives, audience members booed and yelled at the board.

Board member Bill Baumgart said he has heard from a lot of parents who feel the district has been too rigid with its quarantine policy, and he understands. But he feels the changes being made are too absolute.

“The fact is, I was looking for opportunities where we could be a little more liberal with our juniors and seniors, but this is a little stronger than I was hoping for,” Baumgart said.

As of Tuesday, Waukesha County had 43,629 positive COVID-19 cases, according to DHS. The county has 131 cases per 100,000 people, slightly higher than the state average of 118 cases per 100,000 people, according to DHS.

Some Milwaukee Schools Closing Due To COVID-19

Just east of Waukesha, Milwaukee Public Schools, the state’s largest district, began opening to students in person in April. All students could return April 26.

Since that time, the district has closed seven of its 152 schools due to COVID-19, according to district data. At least 52 classrooms have also had to close.

A classroom is closed for two weeks when one student tests positive. Three positive tests in a school causes a full school closure.

Parents are asked to sign a waiver so their child can be randomly tested for COVID-19.