Picture of mask

February 11, 2022

Dear Smithfield Staff and Families,

This 23rd edition of the Back to School report includes our weekly report on COVID cases, an update on masking requirements and town data. 

A Weekly Report on COVID Cases

Last week we had an additional 37 confirmed COVID cases.  This brings our total since our school year began to 873 cases. There were 5 cases identified at SHS, 2 cases identified at Gallagher, 7 cases at Pleasant View Elementary, 22 cases at LaPerche Elementary and 1 case at Old County Road Elementary. 

Mask Update

The governor’s mask mandate for schools was extended through March 4, 2022.  After that time, pursuant to a School Committee policy, unless the mandate is extended, parents may choose to have or not to have their child continue to wear a mask. Teachers will not be responsible for monitoring or enforcing such parents’ decisions. During sports and related activities, all athletes must follow guidance specific for their sport from the Rhode Island Interscholastic League and RI Principals’ Committee on Athletics.

 It is important to note that the federal transportation mask requirement remains in place at this time, and therefore masks will be required on school buses. Masking is also still recommended for immunocompromised individuals and for those who have either not completed their primary series of vaccinations or received their booster. 

Vaccination Rates

Barrington and East Greenwich lead the state with the percent of people, age 5-17, who have completed the primary series of vaccine doses.  Both are currently at 82.2% and both districts have about 90% of this age group who are at least partially vaccinated. The vaccination rates for students in each of Smithfield’s schools as of the end of January, 2022 are as follows:

School

Percent of Eligible Students Who Have Completed the Primary Series

Percent of Eligible Students at Least Partially Vaccinated

Smithfield High School

73

75

Gallagher Middle School

57

61

Pleasant View ES

50

55

Old County Road School

30

32

LaPerche ES

41

46

DISTRICT

57

60

Home Test Kits

Additional, home test kits will be distributed to families next week.  We are hoping that families will utilize these kits prior to returning to school after February vacation.

Town Data

The number of weekly new cases in Smithfield has dropped each week since the start of the new year.  The weekly number for the week ending February 5th fell to 108 cases, from 194 the week prior. The number of cases in the state has also decreased to 5,294 cases for that same week. The town rate corresponds to a weekly rate of 491 new cases per 100,000 residents.  This rate is still nearly five times more than the threshold at which the CDC classifies a high rate of transmission. This data is available at https://bit.ly/2PxCgDM.  

Sincerely,

Judy Paolucci, Superintendent