Updated: March 12, 2020 – 1:27 pm

Dear EPS families and staff:

There is nothing more important than the safety and health of our students and staff. As concerns about the COVID-19 virus continue to grow, it is important that we stay calm and focus intently on prevention and preparedness. While there have been zero confirmed cases in our community and only three confirmed cases in the state, this is an unprecedented event for our country that requires extraordinary precautions. EPS joins the rest of the nation and world in doing our part to prevent the spread of this global pandemic.

Out-of-State, School-Related Travel

To protect the safety of our students, staff and local residents, Enid Public Schools has cancelled all school-related, out-of-state travel for students and staff through the end of March. Travel for the remainder of the school year will be evaluated at the end of this month. We apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment this may cause students and families; however, we believe it is a necessary change to make to protect the safety and health of our community. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact your child’s school principal or activity sponsor/coach.

Out-of-Country Travel for All

The Oklahoma State Department of Education is asking students, staff and their families to self-quarantine after spring break if they visit China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan or any other Level 2 or Level 3 country. Please learn more about this guidance HERE.  It is also important for those traveling out of the country to be aware of federal travel restrictions that may delay or prevent your re-entry to the United States. EPS will work with families regarding student absences, and staff members should consider the amount of sick leave available to them before making the decision to travel out of the country.

Tips for Prevention

EPS has increased its efforts to disinfect classrooms, bathrooms and other common areas and surfaces of schools. There are precautions that individuals can take as well. The CDC recommends the following healthy best practices to prevent the spread of both COVID-19 and the flu:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve.
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Keep children at home when they are sick, too. Unless additional guidance is given in the future, students should be fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning to school.

Communication

There are still many unknowns about how our state and nation will need to respond to this situation. It is very fluid at this time, and day-to-day decisions continue to be made. EPS will continue to work closely with county and state health officials to share the latest information about this illness with you. If there is information or guidance we need to provide to you over spring break, we will communicate with parents through texts, phone calls and emails. Information will also be available through the EPS Facebook page, the EPS Twitter account and our website, www.enidpublicschools.org.

Resources

If you would like to learn more about COVID-19, the following links are reliable and accurate sources for information:

Oklahoma Department of Health Coronavirus Summary
CDC Prevention & Treatment
CDC Travel Information
Talking to Children About COVID-19

Your child’s safety and health are our greatest priority. This is a difficult situation, but we will get through it together. Thank you for your support of Enid Public Schools.

Sincerely,

Dr. Darrell Floyd
Superintendent