ESSER Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds
Community
ESSER
(Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds)
HEALTHY BULLFROGS
A GUIDEBOOK FOR THE SAFE REOPENING OF OUR SCHOOLS
- Local Conditions
- Plan to Address Positive COVID-19 Cases or Community Surges
- Campus Access
- Hygiene
- Protective Equipment
- Physical Distancing
- Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Employee Engagement
- Communication with Students, Parents, Employees, and the Community
- Child Nutrition
- Transportation Services
Local Conditions
The district will verify the status of local conditions in place:
Flexibility or Lifting of State Stay-Home Order
• The state has lifted or relaxed the stay-home order to allow schools to physically reopen.
Flexibility or Lifting of County Stay-Home Order
• The county has lifted or relaxed the stay-home or shelter-in-place order to allow schools to physically reopen.
Equipment Availability
• Monitor inventory for an ongoing supply of protective equipment as needed.
• A sufficient number of no-touch thermal scan thermometers for symptom screenings will be available.
• Consideration has been given to the differing types of protective equipment.
Cleaning Supply Availability
• School-appropriate cleaning supplies will be readily available to continuously disinfect the school site in accordance with CDC guidance.
• Sufficient supplies of hand sanitizers, soap, hand washing stations, tissues, no-touch trash cans, and paper towels will be available.
Plan to Address Positive COVID-19 Cases or Community Surges
The implementation of the plan to close facilities for physical attendance, if necessary, will be determined based on CDC guidance and local assessments.
In accordance with CDC guidance, when a student, teacher, or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and has exposed others at the school the following steps may be implemented:
• The designated district official may consider whether school closure is warranted, and length of time based on the risk level within the specific school community in accordance with CDC guidelines.
• In accordance with CDC guidance for isolation at home after close contact, the classroom or office where the COVID-19 positive individual was based will typically need to close temporarily as students or staff isolate.
• Additional areas of the school, visited by the COVID-19 positive individual, may also need to be closed temporarily for cleaning and disinfection.
• If necessary, based on the local assessment, we may activate the plan for continuity of instruction, support services, and meal programs.
• If necessary, the implementation of LWISD Covid-19 Risk-Based Guidelines. See Exhibit A
Campus Access
This plan will allow access to the campus, including nonessential visitors, and volunteers.
• Campus Based Active Screening. We may engage in symptom screening as students enter campus or buses, consistent with CDC guidance, which may include visual wellness checks and temperature checks (check temperature to ensure temperature is below 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit), and ask students about COVID-19 symptoms within the last 24 hours and whether anyone in their home has had COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test.
• If a student is symptomatic while entering campus or during the school day:
o Students who develop symptoms of illness while at school should be separated from others and ensure physical distancing.
o Any students or staff exhibiting symptoms are encouraged wear a face covering and wait in a separated area and ensure physical distancing.
o The campus nurse will follow established guidelines for triaging students in the health office, recognizing not all symptoms are COVID-19 related.
o Campus nurse will assess students and notify parents as needed.
o The campus will support students who are at higher risk for severe illness (medical conditions that the CDC says may have increased risks).
• Staff—Entering Campus
o Campus Based Active Screening. We may engage in symptom screening as staff enter facilities, consistent with CDC guidance, which includes visual wellness checks and temperature (check temperature to ensure temperature is below 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit), and ask staff about COVID-19 symptoms within the last 24 hours and whether anyone in their home has had COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test.
o Staff members who develop symptoms of illness should report to the campus nurse as soon as possible for an assessment.
o Emergency substitute plans will be available.
• Nonessential Visitors and Volunteers
o Campus Based Active Screening. We may engage in symptom screening as staff enter facilities, consistent with CDC guidance, which includes visual wellness checks and temperature (check temperature to ensure temperature is below 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit), and ask nonessential visitors and volunteers about COVID-19 symptoms within the last 24 hours and whether anyone in their home has had COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test.
Hygiene
Hygiene practices will ensure personal health and safety in school facilities and vehicles.
• Hand washing. In accordance with CDC guidance the plan for hand washing includes:
o Providing opportunities for students and staff to meet or exceed hand washing frequency guidance.
o Ensuring sufficient access to hand washing and sanitizer stations.
o Ensuring hand sanitizer (with a minimum of 60 percent alcohol) is available at or near all rooms and on buses. Call Poison Control if consumed: 1-800-222-1222. Note: frequent hand washing is more effective than the use of hand sanitizers.
Training will be available upon request for staff and students on proper hand washing techniques and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use, including the following:
• Scrub hands with soap for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not accessible. Staff and students should use paper towels to dry hands thoroughly.
• Wash hands when: arriving and leaving home; arriving and leaving school; after playing outside; after having close contact with others; after using shared surfaces or tools; before and after using restroom; after blowing nose, coughing, and sneezing; before and after eating or preparing foods.
• CDC guidance on proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use.
Teaching will be available upon request to staff and students to:
• Use tissue to wipe the nose. Cough and sneeze inside the tissue and dispose of properly.
• Avoid touching the face or face covering.
Protective Equipment
The plan to address available protective equipment needs that will ensure personal health and safety in facilities and vehicles.
The district in accordance with CDC guidance upon request:
• Will provide training and information to staff and students on proper use, removal, and washing of cloth face coverings.
Staff Protective Equipment
• The district will follow state safety guidelines.
o For custodial staff, provide equipment and PPE for cleaning and disinfecting, including:
▪ For regular surface cleaning, provide gloves appropriate for all cleaning and disinfecting.
▪ Staff engaged in sanitizing and disinfecting will be equipped with proper PPE for COVID-19 disinfection in addition to PPE as required by product instructions. All products will be kept out of children’s reach and stored in a space with restricted access.
Student Protective Equipment
• The district will follow state safety guidelines.
Physical Distancing
Cleaning and Disinfecting
This plan will meet cleanliness and disinfecting standards in facilities and vehicles.
• Overall Cleanliness Standards. Schools will meet high cleanliness standards prior to reopening and maintain a high level during the school year.
• We will limit other items that are difficult to clean and sanitize.
• In accordance with CDC guidance, the custodial services plan includes:
o A safe and correct application of disinfectants using personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilation recommended for cleaning.
o Disinfecting surfaces, such as:
▪ Desks and tables
▪ Chairs
▪ Keyboards, phones, headsets, copy machines
o Disinfecting frequently high-touch surfaces, such as:
▪ Door handles
▪ Handrails
▪ Drinking fountains
▪ Sink handles
▪ Restroom surfaces
▪ Instructional materials
• We will utilize disinfecting products approved for use against COVID-19 on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 and follow product instructions.
o To reduce the risk of asthma related reactions to disinfecting, the program will select disinfectant products on the EPA List N with asthma-safe ingredients (hydrogen peroxide, citric acid, or lactic acid).
o We will avoid products that mix these ingredients with peroxyacetic acid, sodium hypochlorite (bleach), or quaternary ammonium compounds, which can cause asthma.
o Use of disinfectants labeled to be effective against emerging viral pathogens, following label directions for appropriate dilution rates and contact times.
• When cleaning, the space will be aired out before children arrive. The plan is to primarily do thorough cleaning when children are not present.
• Plan for Adequate Outdoor Air Circulation
o In accordance with CDC guidance, we will ensure that ventilation systems and fans operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible by using various methods. We will not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk to children using the facility (for example, allowing pollen in or exacerbating asthma symptoms). Central air filtration for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems will be maximized for health and safety.
• Steps will be taken to ensure that all water systems and features (e.g., drinking fountains) are safe to use after a prolonged facility shutdown.
Employee Engagement
Engaging employees with plans to provide necessary training and accommodations.
• Staffing Ratios
o Ensure staffing levels are sufficient to meet unique facility cleanliness, physical distancing, student learning, and health and safety needs to address COVID-19.
• Staff training will be provided upon request of:
o Disinfecting frequency, tools and disinfectants used in accordance with the regulations.
o Physical distancing of staff and students.
o Symptom screening.
o CDC guidance and recommendations including, but not limited to, the following:
▪ Proper use of protective equipment, including information on frequent hand washing.
▪ Cough and sneeze etiquette.
▪ Keeping one’s hands away from one’s face.
▪ Frequent hand washing and proper technique.
▪ Confidentiality around personal health information.
▪ Training for school health staff on clinical manifestations of COVID-19, pediatric presentations and CDC transmission-based precautions.
• The school health official will serve as a staff liaison to be responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns.
• Reasonable Accommodations
o Staff who are at higher risk for severe illness (medical conditions that the CDC says may have increased risks) or who cannot safely distance from household contacts at higher risk may have options available.
o If reasonable accommodations are not practicable, the district may work with the employee to develop a leave plan.
Communication with Students, Parents, Employees, and the Community
• Communicate to staff, students, and parents about new, COVID-19-related protocols as needed, including:
o Cleanliness and disinfection.
o Transmission prevention.
o Guidelines for families about when to keep their student home from school.
o Procedures for self-reporting symptoms to school administration.
• Utilization of the communications plan for when a facility has a positive COVID-19 case.
o Advise sick staff members and students not to return until they have met CDC criteria to discontinue home isolation.
Child Nutrition
Breakfast & Lunch – On Campus Meal Service Plan
• Students will come through the serving lines.
• Cafeteria will follow all CDC guidelines for safety, social distancing and sanitation.
• All Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) requirements for tracking student meals will be followed to ensure compliance.