Mill Valley School District has voluntarily opted to provide information to help keep our community informed. MVSD is committed to report all positive cases that affect cohorts during infectious periods (2 days prior to a COVID-positive test or 2 days prior to the first experienced symptom). Every community member is urged to immediately report positive test results to contain the spread of the virus and ensure healthy school sites.

The chart shares all Scenario 2, 3, and 4 cases/exposures in our district, broken down by site. School-based transmission is reported as a total for the district, not for individual sites. 

We may not release information that may violate privacy related to individuals who have been involved in school-based transmissions. However, Public Health has permitted us to share the number of overall transmissions, and so we feel it is important to still note school-based transmissions that occur in our district beyond the county-wide data that is continually updated as well. 

The Mill Valley School District is following protocols from the Marin County Office of Education and the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services for scenarios and actions related to COVID-19 exposures and cases. 

Please contact your principal to report a Scenario 2, 3, or 4. 

In alignment with public health recommendations, all Scenario 2, 3, and 4 notifications will be made directly to individuals affected. Cases that potentially impact individuals' health and wellness at our schools or offices will be reported, as determined by public health. Individuals may be in contact with others outside our schools, so continue to monitor Public Health updates for community information. All cases are self-reported. Please contact your principal immediately to report your case. 

The dashboard is updated upon confirmation with the family of a positive case (Scenario 3) close contact (Scenario 2), or negative test after symptoms or confirmed close contact (Scenario 4)

MVSD reports any positive case where a student or staff member attended in-person within 2 days before the onset of symptoms or attended within 2 days before a positive test. The rationale is that people are infectious 2 days before symptoms occur, and if a person is asymptomatic, public health uses 2 days before the positive test as a cutoff time.

MVSD will report positive cases that come in on a weekend or holiday if it meets the criteria above (student or staff member attended in-person within 2 days of symptoms or 2 days of a positive test result).

There has been no change in reporting Scenario 2 cases. Often there is a Scenario 2 preceding a Scenario 3, but not always. Sometimes a student/staff member tests positive without a case at home first, so there would be just a Scenario 3 posted without a preceding Scenario 2. 

This is done completely by the county. They contact the families directly and go through their contacts to trace back to the potential exposure.  Even with this process, MVSD in-school transmissions have been deemed "suspected" because it is difficult to be sure of the source. There is no mandatory testing of the cohort after a positive test, but everyone is told to quarantine for 10 days. The quarantine is 10 days regardless of whether students/staff get a negative test before the end of the 10 days.  

For those who engage in a high-risk activity (mixing of households or non-essential travel), they must wait for 5 days before getting a test (cannot be rapid test) to return to school. Because test results take a few days, they usually are out for 10 days anyway.

All positive tests in the cohort would be reported, not just the initial positive. So in the scenario above, there would be 4 positives posted with the dates. 

After someone reports a positive test to MVSD, it is immediately reported on the dashboard. If MVSD hears from a third part about someone testing positive, we confirm the positive by calling the family before posting. 

County public health has directed that posting the school location would violate privacy.

At the direction of Dr. Berman, Dr. Berman's administrative assistant updates the dashboard. 

Parents are required to fill in the health screening prior to sending students to school each day, and they are required to report a positive test of a student or household member in this screening. 

No. Staff are required to test each week (25% at a time). There is no student testing in the works as the district does not have the authority to require this. But voluntary testing is available regularly at the Mill Valley Middle School. Should testing for students be required or recommended, the district is prepared and equipped to offer daily testing opportunities on site. 

Visit the Marin County Public Health School Status Dashboard for more information.