COVID-19 Response Plan

As we plan for returning to school at Anna ISD, we recognize that this will be an unusual school year, but we remain committed to supporting your student’s learning, as well as his or her safety.

The situation with COVID-19 is continuously evolving, as are the district protocols and measures needed to keep students and staff safe. Plans will remain flexible to accommodate potential changes and these procedures will be modified as needed.

The virus that causes COVID-19 can infect people of all ages, and our school system leaders will do everything feasible to keep students, teachers, staff, and our community safe. That said, research from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), among others, has found that while children do get infected by COVID-19 and some severe outcomes have been reported in children, relatively few children with COVID-19 are hospitalized or have severe symptoms. Furthermore, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that COVID-19 risks must be balanced with the need for children to attend school in person, given that lack of physical access to school leads to a number of negative consequences, placing “children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity, and in some case, mortality.”

In response to community and staff input, this document outlines the current procedures our campuses will have in place to prevent or mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and how to respond if a positive case is identified.

While it is not possible to eliminate all risks of furthering the spread of COVID-19, there are many steps we can take to reduce the risks to students, teachers, staff, and their families significantly. Anna ISD officials work closely with the City of Anna and the Collin County Health Department to develop and implement strategies for a safe return to in-person learning. The District will review and revise guidance periodically, every six months. The Anna ISD strategy for opening and operating is outlined below.

Additionally, we have designated each campus nurse as a COVID-19 point person who is available to answer questions and support our staff and students during the 2021-2022 school year.

PREVENT

Vaccinated Individuals: Individuals that are vaccinated will not be considered close contact.


Screening:
To prevent COVID-positive individuals from entering our campuses, your student’s school will have the following COVID-19 symptom screening procedures in place:

    • All staff will complete an electronic COVID-19 Health Screening form when they arrive on campus each day.

      • Staff must report to their supervisor if they themselves have COVID-19 symptoms or are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, and, if so, they must remain off campus until they meet the criteria for re-entry.

    • Parents/Guardians are encouraged to screen their children daily and ensure they do not send a child to school if the child has COVID-19 symptoms or is lab-confirmed with COVID-19 until the 10-day incubation period has passed.

Individuals Confirmed or Suspected with COVID-19 Symptoms and Re-admission:

    • As a reference, close contact determinations are generally based on guidance outlined by the CDC, which notes that individuals who are vaccinated are not considered close contacts. Given the data from 2020-21 showing very low COVID-19 transmission rates in a classroom setting and data demonstrating lower transmission rates among children than adults, school systems are not required to conduct COVID-19 contact tracing. If school systems are made aware that a student is a close contact, the school system should notify the student’s parents.

    • Parents of students who are determined to be close contacts of an individual with COVID-19 may opt to keep their students at home during the recommended stay-at-home period. For individuals who are determined to be close contacts, a stay-at-home period can end for students experiencing no symptoms on Day 5 after close contact exposure, if no subsequent COVID-19 testing is performed. Alternately, students can end the stay-at-home period if they receive a negative result from a PCR acute infection test after the close contact exposure ends

    • Staff or students diagnosed with COVID-19 cannot return to campus until ALL three (3) of the following criteria have been met:

      • Fever-free for at least 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine)

      • Improvement in respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath)

      • At least 5 days have passed since positive diagnosis followed up

    • If staff or students (who are unvaccinated) have any of the above signs or symptoms that could be COVID-19, it is assumed that they have COVID-19 and have the following options:

      • Complete the same three-step return to campus criteria described above; OR

      • Obtain and present a medical professional’s note clearing you for return to campus based on an alternative diagnosis OR

      • Obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing location that comes back negative.

Student Reporting Procedures for a Lab-Confirmed Positive COVID-19

    • Parents/Guardians of students who are diagnosed with COVID-19 should notify the nurse on your child’s campus.

      • Campus nurses will provide the family with the return-to-school criteria.

      • Campus nurses will notify Anna ISD Health Services Coordinator.

RESPOND

Cleaning Protocol for Lab-Confirmed Positive Case of COVID-19
Once a case is “Lab confirmed” positive, the Facilities Department will be notified of the affected area by the principal or designee. Anna ISD will thoroughly clean and disinfect all areas recently occupied by the affected employee or student. The areas affected will be marked closed for cleaning with Anna ISD signage and then disinfected. Once all affected areas of the building are disinfected, they will be re-opened for use.

Students and Staff members who have been vaccinated with the COVID vaccine

Students and staff members who have been vaccinated with the COVID vaccine (after 2 weeks of the last vaccination) may be exempt from quarantine guidelines if they are asymptomatic.

Protocol for Symptomatic Individual in School

    • All campuses will immediately separate any student who shows COVID-19 symptoms while at school until the student can be picked up by a parent or guardian.

    • Students or staff who present with symptoms will be evaluated and assessed by the school nurse.

    • Nurses will provide parents/staff with the return to school criteria.

    • Campuses will clean the areas used by the individual who shows COVID-19 symptoms while at school (student, teacher, or staff) as soon as is feasible.

Protocol for Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Case in the School

    • If an individual who has been in a school is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19, the school will notify our district health coordinator who will notify the local health department. Under the guidance of the local health department, contact tracing may begin by the local health department.

    • There are circumstances where schools will close off areas that are heavily used by the individual with the lab-confirmed case (student, teacher, or staff) until the non-porous surfaces in those areas can be disinfected unless more than seven days have already passed since that person was on campus.

    • Full campus closure will be considered when lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 cases are at least 10 percentage points below the last school year’s overall average attendance as with any communicable disease as described here by the Texas DHSH .

    • Parents/Guardians of students who are identified as having been in close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed may be notified by public health officials. Parents of students who are determined to be close contacts of an individual with COVID-19 may opt to keep their students at home during the recommended stay-at-home period.

    • Close contact is determined by an appropriate public health agency and national CDC. For clarity, close contact is defined as:

      • being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or

      • being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes or more; however, additional factors like case/contact masking (i.e., both the infectious individual and the potential close contact have been consistently and properly masked), ventilation, presence of dividers, and case symptomology, and/or vaccination may affect this determination.

    • Students who have been identified as being in close contact and develop symptoms should stay home for the 10 day period unless they test and have a negative test and symptoms decrease.

  • If individuals return to school from these shorter stay-at-home windows, they should regularly monitor themselves for symptoms to ensure they remain symptom-free and take appropriate precautions (e.g., more consistent mask usage) for the duration of the 5-day incubation period with no symptoms (updated 1/3/2022).

        • Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19

        • If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

    • Individuals are presumed infectious at least two days prior to symptom onset or, in the case of asymptomatic individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, two days prior to the confirming lab test.

    • Persons with a lab-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 may discontinue isolation under the following conditions:

      • At least 5 days have passed since COVID diagnosis and

      • At least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and

      • Other symptoms have improved.


Protocol for Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Case in the Home

  • If a student or staff member has a Lab-confirmed COVID-19 case in the home and is not vaccinated a determination will be made for quarantine based on the student or staff member being in CLOSE CONTACT with the individual who has the lab-confirmed diagnosis.

      • For clarity, close contact is defined as:

        • You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more

        • You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19

        • You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)

        • You shared eating or drinking utensils

        • They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you

Steps to take

        • Stay home and monitor your health

          • Stay home for 5 days after COVID-19 diagnosis may return to work/school if asymptomatic and wearing a face mask for 5 days

          • Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19

          • If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19



MITIGATE

Health and Hygiene Practices: Masks
Anna ISD will comply with the governor’s executive order regarding the wearing of masks.

    • All staff, as well as students, will have the option to wear a face covering.

    • In the event that increased cases arise in our district or state, local and state authorities may change this ruling and require face masks.

    • Students should bring their own face covering to school and will be responsible for keeping it on.


Arrival and Dismissal

    • Entrances will be monitored to limit students congregating and provide no-touch entry for students.

    • Students will sanitize and/or wash hands upon entry and exit of the building.

    • Campuses will work to designate specific entrances and exits.


Hallways and Transitions

    • Two-way traffic may be utilized in larger hallway areas where social distancing is feasible.

Cafeteria - Breakfast and Lunch

    • Based on building capacity and student enrollment, campus administration will determine areas that will be utilized for lunch. These areas could include classrooms, cafeteria, or other large areas within the school building.

    • Our custodial services department will sanitize the cafeteria tables during and after the lunch periods.

Protocols for Disinfecting and Hand Sanitizing
Frequent disinfection and hand sanitization will ensure the health and wellness of students and staff.

    • Hand sanitizer will be available at the main entrance to the campus, in classrooms, in the cafeteria, and in common areas throughout the campus.

    • Microfiber towels and disinfectant spray will be provided in all classrooms for staff to clean all high-touch and working surfaces plus shared objects frequently.

    • Staff and students are expected to regularly wash or sanitize their hands.

Protocols for Campus Cleaning and Disinfecting
Classrooms and Common Areas
Outside of the normal daily cleanings, campus custodial staff (as well as campus staff) will be implementing the following cleaning protocols to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spread in our buildings.

    • Classrooms, science and art labs, offices, workrooms, copier rooms, libraries, and common areas will be sanitized weekly using electrostatic sprayers and EPA approved chemicals.

    • Computer labs will be equipped with electrostatic sprayers to sanitize computer labs daily.

    • All classrooms are being equipped with a disinfecting spray and microfiber towels. The teachers will disinfect high-touch areas and work surfaces daily.

    • All bathrooms and water fountains will be disinfected daily.

    • The district is installing water bottle fillers at each of the water fountain locations.

    • Students are expected to bring their own reusable water bottle for use throughout the day and expected to take water bottles home to be cleaned daily.

    • Elementary outside playground equipment will be sanitized prior to students coming back to school for the first day of class. All playgrounds will remain closed to the public after school hours until further notice.

Transportation
Daily Safety Practices

    • Bus routes will run on a “normal” schedule for both arrival and dismissal.

    • All buses will have hand sanitizer dispensers placed in the stairwells for use when loading and unloading.

    • Priority will be placed on transporting academic-related activities when evaluating field-trip requests.

    • Face covering guidelines will be optional for all students and staff

    • Students will load the bus back to front and unload front to back in order to minimize contacts.

    • Students will have assigned seating.

    • Families will be encouraged to walk, carpool, or drop off students to reduce contact on the bus.