Christine Schieferle, Superintendent, Fillmore Unified School District

Released March 11, 2022

Dear FUSD Families,
I would like to thank you for your continued support and patience as we continue to adapt to state and local public health mandates. Together, we have prioritized student and staff safety while continuing to provide the best educational experiences for our students. The purpose of this letter is to provide updated information regarding the Mask Mandate for FUSD students and staff beginning March 14, 2022.

In alignment with Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) and the Executive Order issued by Governor Newsom, beginning March 14th, FUSD students and staff will no longer be required to wear masks indoors and on school busses regardless of their vaccination status. We will continue to strongly recommend indoor masking; however, students and staff will have the personal choice to wear a mask or not wear a mask. I understand that the anticipation of these changes will be a relief to some and a source of anxiety for others. We will continue to support both students and staff in making the individual decisions on whether to wear masks.

Responsibility for COVID Safety/Continuing Mitigation
- Students and staff prescreen and stay home when sick
- Surgical and N95 masks for students upon request in every school office
- Continued group contact tracing and notifications
- Frequent use of handwashing and sanitizing
- Enhanced classroom cleaning of high-touch areas daily
- Improved ventilation
- Expanded testing opportunities at our elementary school sites and at the FHS stadium
- VCPH pediatric vaccination clinics for families who wish to have their children vaccinated

FUSD will remain prepared to adjust with conditions of the virus and to all updated public health mandates

Respecting Personal Choice
- The state is providing personal choice for masking in schools with the expectation that individual choices are respected.
- One should not make assumptions regarding someone’s beliefs or health status based upon their choice to wear or not wear a mask, nor should they comment on them.
- If your child expresses any anxiety, please reach out to our school counselors for support

We look forward to this next phase and are very excited to see smiling faces and to take another step towards returning to normal operations and bringing back the activities we have all missed.

Sincerely,
Christine Schieferle, Superintendent
Fillmore Unified School District