Schools develop protocols for 2020-2021

Editor’s notes: The following information was prepared by the four Van Wert County school districts, in conjunction with the Van Wert County Health District, as protocols and requirements needed for the safe return of students and staff to school this fall.

VW independent/submitted information

During the 2019-2020 school year, all Ohio schools were closed for the remainder of the school calendar year, beginning March 17, by order of Governor Mike DeWine and State Health Commissioner Dr. Amy Acton, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, July 2, Governor DeWine released the Reset and Restart Education Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts. 

Van Wert County school superintendents Kathy Mollenkopf (Crestview), Jeff Snyder (Lincolnview), Mark Bagley (Van Wert), and Rick Turner (Vantage) met several times in July to identify common practices for reopening the county’s public schools. This agreement is a result of the collaboration, as well as guiding input provided by the Van Wert County Health Department.

The following principles will guide each county school district as it moves forward with reopening schools to include options for traditional school-based learning and/or remote learning.

Under the agreement, each school district will:

• Implement the Ohio Department of Health required health and safety protocols.
• Implement to the highest degree, and as realistically as possible, recommended health and safety protocols.
• Work closely with the County Health Department to promote health and safety in each school building.
• Prioritize communication to parents and students regarding the importance of daily health assessments prior to reporting to school. Parents will be asked to conduct symptoms checks on their students prior to reporting to school each day. This includes taking students’ temperatures. If a student has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher or the student is experiencing other symptoms, the student should not report to school. In addition, health assessment monitoring may occur at school, if increased risks present themselves within the community.
• Require all employees to conduct symptoms checks prior to reporting to school each day, to include taking their temperature. Employees that have a temperature of 100 degrees or higher or are experiencing other symptoms, should not report to work and should contact their immediate supervisor.
• Will be transparent with all stakeholders. It is understood that some level of risk will always be present when children and school district employees occupy school district facilities.
• Recognize the need for consistency in the broad operation of this agreement, while recognizing that individual differences among the districts may exist in relationship to classroom sizes, school facilities, and daily building operation; these differences may require district administrations to respond differently within their own districts.
• Agree to maintain the previously-approved school calendars, with some amendments to provide professional development for teachers and staff.

The following are common practices that will be honored among county school districts:

Professional Development
Each school district recognizes the importance of preparing employees with health and safety protocols, as well as cleaning and sanitizing procedures. Also, professional staff need additional training on technology platforms that will be used in both school-based learning and remote learning; as such, the number of contact days with students will be adjusted to include additional time at the beginning of the school year for professional development.

Social Distancing and Face Coverings
Each school district recognizes that the most effective precaution in prevention of the spread of the coronavirus is social distancing, and this practice will be implemented whenever and wherever possible during the school day.

Additionally, each school district:

• Will require that all employees wear a face covering (mask or shield) unless the employee has a health condition or disability documents by a licensed healthcare professional that would be exacerbated by wearing a face covering. In situations where employees can maintain a social distance of six feet or more during instruction, coaching, or work, face coverings may be removed for the time that social distancing can be maintained. An employee may also remove a face covering when communicating with someone with a disability or while actively eating or drinking.
• Will strongly recommend that students in preschool through grade 2 wear face coverings and will require students in grades 3-12 to wear face coverings during the school day, unless the student has a health condition or a disability documented by a licensed healthcare professional that would be exacerbated by wearing a face covering. Students may remove face coverings in sports, as well as when they are actively engaged in eating or drinking during the school day or in after-school sports.

Instructional Time and Classroom Occupancy
Each school district will inform parents of the health and safety protocols that are in place in preparation for, and during, classroom instruction; however, students may still incur some level of risk which cannot be prevented.

Additionally, each school district:

• Will use cleaning products multiple times during the school day to decrease the likelihood of spreading the virus.
• Will require hand washing or the use of hand sanitizers multiple times during the school day, especially before and after classes, to promote personal hygiene.
• Will honor social distancing within classrooms, common spaces, and hallways, as much as physically possible.
• Will require teachers to maintain seating charts in classrooms or instructional spaces when reasonably practical to assist in contact tracing by the County Health Department.

Recess
Each school district recognizes the importance of physical activity in the development of students.

As such, each school district:

• Will require students to wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and/or after recess.
• Will make every effort to maintain consistency in cleaning play equipment and play spaces.
• Will work toward “structured” recess activities that limit students’ physical contact with each other, yet encourage exercise and play.

Food Service
Each school district participates in the School Nutrition Program and will continue to offer food service to both students and staff.

Additionally, each school district:

• Will determine the logistics of where students will eat lunch in order to maximize social distancing, reduce occupancy in cafeteria spaces, and maintain compliance with County Health Department food service guidelines.
• Will require students to wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after breakfast, lunch, or snacks.
• Will minimize employees’ and students’ use of touch pads for payment.
• Will sanitize cafeteria tables between lunch periods and/or groups of students.
• Will serve traditional lunches only. There will be self-serve options. Pre-packaged a la carte items that are handed to staff/students for purchase are permitted.
• Will provide individually-packaged condiments.

Transportation
Each school district will maintain bus transportation for students under the Ohio Department of Pupil Transportation guidelines. In the event local or state-level directives require school districts to use alternative schedules for instruction, each school district may adopt minimum requirements for transportation, thus reducing the number of students eligible for school district transportation services.

Additionally, each school district:

• Will require all bus drivers to wear a face covering unless the driver has a health reason documented by a licensed healthcare professional that would be exacerbated by wearing a face covering.
• Will require all students, except preschool students, to wear a face covering while school buses, unless a student has a health reason documented by a licensed health professional that would be exacerbated by wearing a face covering.
• Will allow two students per seat, or in some rare instances, three students per seat, if the students are younger and, therefore, smaller.
• Will place siblings or residents of the same household in seats together whenever possible.
• Will make every effort to maintain seating charts to assist with potential contact tracing.

Visitors and Volunteers
Each school district will establish specific guidelines for visitors and volunteers.

Additionally, each school district:

• Will limit visitors in school buildings during school hours.
• Will require the same health and safety protocols for volunteers that are required of employees and students, including temperature checks and face coverings.

Classroom Celebrations/Parties
Each school district will develop specific plans for classroom celebrations and parties. However, students will not be permitted to bring homemade treats.

Remote Learning
Each school district will develop a remote learning plan that has been approved by its Board of Education and then submitted to the Ohio Department of Education by August 21.

Additionally, each school district:

• Will include as part of its plans an option for parents to elect to send their student(s) to school for school-based learning or an option to select remote learning for their student(s).
• Will only permit parents to change their selected option at the end of each district’s determined grading period (nine weeks, semester, or trimester).
• Recognizes that remote learning may include both digital (online) and analog (non-digital) instructional delivery.
• Will not permit students to move in and out of remote learning unless there are specific reasons related to quarantine or Covid-19-related health issues.
• May elect to use remote learning during periods of time for “practicing” remote learning, or if buildings are closed for cleaning or sanitizing, or in circumstances where the virus has escalated and the superintendent determines that a school building or the district will move to remote learning.

Employees or Students with Positive Covid-19 Diagnosis
Each school district recognizes that communication and contact tracing regarding a positive Covid-19 diagnosis is the responsibility of the County Health Department, not the school district.

As well, each school district:

• Agrees to develop a common template that can be shared with the County Health Department. The template should include a communication protocol between the school district and the County Health Department, as well as contract tracing and quarantine requirements.
• Understands that the County Health Department will advise a school district employee or a student who has a positive Covid-19 diagnosis of the 10-day quarantine requirement.
• Understands that any employee or student determined to have experienced a “first generation” exposure to a person with a positive Covid-19 diagnosis will be advised to quarantine for 14 days. The County Health Department, consistent with statewide protocols, will define what is considered an exposure to Covid-19.

Agreement May Be Subject to Change
Significant time, effort, and collaboration were spent among county superintendents and the County Health Department to develop guidelines that align with directives and recommendations from Governor DeWine, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Ohio Department of Health. Please understand it is the county school districts’ desire to adhere to this agreement in developing their own district-specific guidelines and protocols.

However, due to the fluidity of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in order to respond to new recommendations or mandates, changes to this agreement are to be expected. County superintendents and representatives of the Van Wert County Health Department have been, and will be, in constant communication to prepare and respond differently, if necessary, to provide for the safety or our students and staff members.