Valley students are set to return to the classroom Monday. It's a return marked by some confusion and concern for a number of parents.

So, as Covid numbers surge due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, and many school district's continue to reinstate or discontinue safety guidelines, here's what to know (last updated Sunday, Jan. 2):

As of Jan. 2, the Austintown Local School District has not mandated masks in the school setting. 

The Boardman Local School District will continue to implement a mandatory mask requirement indoors during school hours for all K-12 students and staff. 

The Brookfield Local School District will be requiring all students, staff, and visitors to wear masks while in district buildings, regardless of vaccination status until further notice, according to a Sept. 9, 2021 post to its site. As of Jan. 2, there have been no further updates on its Covid-19 policies. 

The Canfield Local School District will be implementing an indoor masking policy for all K-12 staff, students and visitors effective Jan. 3. It will re-evaluate the policy on Jan. 12. 

The district has also updated quarantine and isolation requirements for students becoming exposed and/or sick in settings outside of the school setting over the holiday break, in accordance with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) adopted guidelines.

As of Dec. 31, 2021, the school district will continue to adhere to the existing school setting exposure guidance.

The Champion Local School District has been implementing an indoor masking policy for all K-12 staff, students and visitors since Aug. 17, 2021. Though, students can submit for waiver under the policy here.

According to the school district site, masks are required for students and faculty returning to in-person learning.

Contact tracing will also continue in the district with the help of the Trumbull County Health Department.

The Liberty Local School District will require its students to wear face masks this school year while they are in buildings and common areas, according to the district's website.

The school district works in tandem with the Trumbull County Combined Health District for guidance on student and staff exposure and quarantine guidelines.

After mandating masks for all students and faculty in September, the Lowellville Local School District adopted more lenient Covid-19 safety protocols in October. This is the most recent update the school district has posted to its site.

As of Dec. 30, 2021, Lowellville Local Schools reported one staff member as having tested positive for Covid-19 and one staff member as being actively in quarantine. 

The Sebring Local School District has not updated its Covid-19 safety guidelines on its site since August 2021. According to a Nov. 15 Sebring school board agenda, it planned to review its mask policy, which requires face coverings indoors for all students and staff but no meeting minutes have been posted to its site for Nov. 15.

According to its site, the South Range Local School District superintendent sent out a one-call to parents over winter break and said, in part: 

"Over winter break, we were provided new Covid-19 protocols. [Monday, Jan. 3] we will participate in health department conference calls that will provide clarity and guidance while transitioning to the new protocols."

In that same phone blast, the superintendent does not directly state if there is/isn't a masking policy in effect but does say that "...the mandate to wear masks on school buses is still in effect an if students are pulled to a small group setting, they will be asked to wear a mask." It had a mask-optional policy through winter break 2021.

According to its site, the Springfield Local School District's coronavirus information page has been disabled.

For more information about re-enabling the page, you can contact Kelsey Klim, an employee of the school district.

As of Jan. 2, the Struthers City School District will not require masks to be worn in the school setting. It returned to an optional masking policy on Nov 8., 2021, but still encourage masks to be worn by students and staff. Masks are still required on the school bus.  

Its latest Covid-19 policy update states "We will continue to monitor our case rates and other data available to us. The Struthers City Schools reserve the right to make changes to the mask policy."

The district will be returning to the classrooms Jan. 3 and require masks to be worn by all staff and scholars, with no exceptions, it says. 

The school district also has in place a remote learning plan in the event that in-person learning is not an option. This plan was implemented just before winter break, because of a significant number of quarantine cases due to exposure to COVID-19 as well as positive COVID-19 cases in Dec. 2021.