Superintendent Peter Bang-Knudsen has a message to share with the community.

In the message, he references the revised metrics set by the state to help inform school districts’ decisions regarding in-person learning. In addition, he walks through a graph by the Institute for Disease Modeling which indicates that when schools implement COVID-19 health and safety measures (mask-wearing, social distancing, screening, etc.), the community spread of COVID-19 remains relatively similar in the hybrid learning model as a fully remote learning model. Leading to the finding that hybrid learning isn’t much riskier than full remote learning. (See PDF of the graph.) Safety is BISD’s highest priority and it will continue to be as we move forward through the school year.

BISD principals and staff created videos explaining the COVID-19 safety protocols that are enacted at all of our schools and buildings. Please take a few minutes to view them to gain an understanding of the measures. As a bonus, you’ll get to see a peek inside our schools!

HELPING TO KEEP YOU SAFE:

• DAILY SCREENING

• WEARING MASKS

• ENHANCED CLEANING & SANITIZING

• POINT-OF-CONTACTS

• INCREASED AIR CIRCULATION

• SOCIAL DISTANCING

• STAY HOME WHEN SICK

BISD is one of a handful of school districts in Washington to be selected to participate in a COVID-19 testing pilot program- a partnership between the Department of Health and the Gates Foundation. This is a state-funded pilot for voluntary COVID-19 screening and testing that will help contain the virus, protect our communities, open up opportunities for in-person learning, and keep students and teachers healthy and safe.

Schedule a Test at: https://www.bisd303.org/Page/16255

The testing helps BISD add a layer of COVID-19 prevention as we transition from remote learning to in-person learning. A few important things to know:

1. Testing takes place during school days at the District Office, 8489 Madison Ave. N, between Ordway Elementary and the Aquatic Center
   

2. Testing is available for any BISD staff member and any student who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, we will provide regular interval testing for teachers and staff (who do not have symptoms) as a way to screen for COVID-19 in our community.
   

3. Reservations for the test are required. We will be unable to accommodate unscheduled individuals.
   

4. There is no cost for the test but if you have health insurance, you are asked to provide the insurance information. (You will not be subject to a co-pay.)
   

5. The test is a self-administered cheek-swab test that is similar to brushing your teeth.
   

6. Volunteers will staff the testing site (at the District Office) and will provide you with the test, instructions and will monitor the process.
   

7. Test results will be available 36-48 hours after the test (or 24 hours after the test arrives at the lab).

MASKS

All individuals (staff, students, or visitors) must wear a face covering when on site. For most environments, a cloth face mask is sufficient. The Washington State Department of Health has issued the following guidance on who should not wear a face mask:

• • • Children under two years of age

    • People who have disabilities that prevent them from comfortably wearing or taking off face coverings or prevent them from communicating while wearing face coverings

    • People who have respiratory conditions or breathing trouble

    • People who have been told by a medical, legal, or behavioral health professional not to wear face coverings

Students will be asked to bring a clean face mask from home each day plus one additional change as a back-up; we will have additional masks should the need arise. If a student is medically exempt from wearing a face covering, due to the above referenced criteria, a written note of exemption from the family will be requested and the student may wear a face shield. In exemption situations, staff will engage with the family of the student on how the district can provide appropriate educational services. It is important to note that there is no exception from OSPI or DOH regarding the use of a face mask when on campus, and that this requirement does not change when students are engaging in physical activity or music instruction.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

All classrooms and common spaces have been reconfigured to accommodate a minimum of 6’ distancing between desks and teaching environment.

CLEANING, SANITIZING & DISINFECTING FACILITIES AND BUSES

In accordance with guidance from the WA State Department of Health, CDC, and Kitsap County Health District, we have developed a cleaning regimen in compliance with regulations for infection control in public schools. Custodial and food service staff will work in concert with teachers and paraeducators to effectively clean, sanitize, and disinfect all areas of use on a daily basis.

Custodial staff will utilize “green seal certified” cleaning agents to clean and remove soils from all surfaces on a daily basis. These products are pH neutral cleaning agents designed with naturally derived plant based surfactants and citric acids. They are generally fragrance free and do not require rinsing if diluted properly. The custodial department has been issued chemical distribution equipment that ensures accurate dilution of all cleaning/disinfecting chemicals at the source, removing the potential for improper dilution.

We have identified and scheduled the disinfection of high touch surfaces multiple times throughout the school day:

• • • After school start time

    • After each passing period

    • In between A&B groups

    • During PM cleaning routines

Restrooms will be cleaned a minimum of two times per day. Custodial staff working the day shift will fully clean/disinfect all restrooms between groups A&B, and again during the PM shift. Custodians will conduct routine checks of the restrooms throughout each three hour span of instruction and address soiled areas and high touch surfaces as needed. The list below indicates the type of surface and product used to maintain infection control in our facilities.

• • Electronics - 70% Isopropyl Alcohol & distilled water at a ratio of 1:1

  • Student desks, high touch surfaces, restrooms, drinking fountains, sinks and countertops - cleaned with soap and water and disinfected utilizing EPA registered disinfectants.

  • Shared play and learning materials/tools - clean with soap and water prior to sanitizing with food grade and contact safe sanitizer.

  • Restrooms will be cleaned thoroughly with soap, water, and mechanical means prior to complete disinfection and rinse with clean water.

  • Buses - neutral cleaner and sanitizer will be used to clean all seats and touch points(a hydrogen peroxide product may be substituted to provide some disinfectant capacity while protecting the indoor air quality of the bus. Handrails will be disinfected with an EPA registered disinfectant. Driver seats and operating equipment will be disinfected utilizing an alcohol mixture.

  • Floors - will be cleaned with water that has been positively charged by electrode to increase cleaning capacity and then mopped with a hydrogen peroxide product diluted to a minimum of 5%.

HANDWASHING STATIONS

Systematic and prevalent signage will be furnished in each building to illustrate the importance of hand hygiene and inform staff and students of the best practices for thorough hand washing.

School buildings sites have been reviewed to identify all classrooms and general areas with insufficient hand washing capacity/capability. All spaces identified in this review, including building entry points, will receive a portable hand washing station to satisfy the needs of staff and students the ability to wash hands effectively on an as needed basis determined by the individual.

Custodial staff will be responsible for facilitating the stations on a daily basis. Facilities staff have installed additional supply dispensers to ensure that each individual restroom facility and specific classroom environments are less likely to run out of soap and disposable paper towels.

Various training and resource documents are being created and will be delivered to staff and students upon return to sites and classes.

WHEN SOMEONE IS SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

If any individual, whether through the screening process or once on campus, develops the following symptoms we will engage the process outlined below.
Symptoms identified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for COVID 19 :

• • Fever (100.4F) or chills

  • Cough

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headache

  • New loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Diarrhea

If while on campus, an individual reports that they have a confirmed case of COVID-19 or if they are exhibiting any of the symptoms identified above, they will be immediately escorted by a staff member to a room identified (at each site) for isolation and will need to maintain at least six feet of physical distance from any other individuals in this location until they can safely be picked up by a family member. NOTE: Once the individual exhibiting symptoms has left the premise our custodial team will secure the room and determine the best time frame for cleaning to occur. The isolation room will then be thoroughly cleaned by our custodial staff who will wear appropriate PPE for the sanitation and disinfection of an area in which there has been suspected COVID-19. CDC guidance for the cleaning and disinfection of the isolation room and other identified areas will be followed.

The school district central point of contact (POC) will be notified of the suspected or confirmed case. The two POCs for the Bainbridge Island School District are Dane Fenwick and Erin Murphy. One of the POCs will then contact the Kitsap Public Health District to make them aware of the suspected or confirmed case. The POCs will honor the confidentiality of all information related to suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. For the purposes of the contact tracing process, additional information regarding confidentiality is outlined below.

Confidentiality: State and federal laws protect the privacy of personal health information. The POC will limit the access and amount of information shared to only what is operationally needed. POCs will not divulge personally identifying information—including name—to other employees, students, or families and will maintain the confidentiality of this information. In some cases, the absence of a specific employee or student combined with notification to close contacts may reveal the identity of a confirmed or suspected case. However, as long as the POC does not specifically reveal the name or other confidential health information, the POC will proceed to notify close contacts to secure the health and safety of the workplace.
Prior to being sent home, individual with symptoms or reporting a confirmed case of COVID-19 should follow guidance outlined in the two attachments - both of which will be provided:

DOH guidance on what to do if you have symptoms for COVID-19 and have not been around anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 .

What to do if you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19

They will also be provided with the name and contact information of the district POCs, and awareness that either the Kitsap Public Health District or the school district POCs may be contacting them related to contact tracing. Though medical testing for COVID-19 is not a requirement for access to school, we will ask the student’s family to inform the school right away if the person is tested and diagnosed with COVID-19.

CONTACT TRACING

At this time, our current health district is working at capacity, and we have been informed that school district staff will likely be asked to assist in contact tracing and subsequent communication with individuals who have either shown symptoms or have confirmed cases of COVID-19, as well as with other individuals who may have been in contact with the aforementioned individuals.
Our health district has directed us to utilize the “Healthy Workplace: The Role of Employers in Effective Contact Tracing” to establish our procedures and noted that in any instance where the word “employees” is noted that the words “and students” should be included.
The following procedures have been established by our district to facilitate contract tracing.

Identify and inform any close contacts in the school environments within 24 hours.

Identify any close contacts (within 6 feet for more than 15 min) that the suspected or confirmed COVID-19 student or staff member had in the school environment in the 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms or prior to a confirmed test if the COVID-19 positive person is asymptomatic. Note: We will not disclose the name of the contact unless we have express written consent from the staff -or- student and/or their family.

• 1. 1. 1. Review logs/ databases of who was present in the identified school environment (i.e. classroom(s), bus, athletics, etc.)

        2. Review school related calendars and/or schedules

        3. Ask student or staff member and other staff (i.e. student’s teacher or supervisor) for their recollections and cross reference with other data sources

        4. If we learn about a case from Public Health, they may provide some names of contacts

Communicate possible exposure to close school environment contacts. Note: We will not disclose the name of the contact unless we have express written consent from the staff -or- student and/or their family.

• 1. 1. 5. Inform the staff member or the student and/or student’s family that they were in close contact with a suspected or confirmed COVID19 case. Note: The first contact for a student will always be made to the family and any discussion with the student will be approached in an age appropriate manner.

        6. Ensure that the student or staff member is wearing their face covering, immediately separate from others, and ensure safe transport home.

        7. Direct them to quarantine for 14 days.

        8. Recommend testing to assist with further contact tracing. Note: Quarantine period remains 14 days regardless of test results as it takes up to 14 days for the virus to incubate.

           1. If the exposure date is known, test no sooner than 48 hours after the exposure.

           2. If the exposure date is unknown, or if the exposure was continuous, immediate testing is recommended.

        9. Provide information including:

           1. DOH: What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19

           2. Kitsap Public Health District: What is Contact Tracing

           3. Information related student’s attendance and missed school work.

           4. Criteria for return to the school environment.

Communicate out to the school community, as determined appropriate.

• 1. 2. Be transparent about confirmed cases and close contacts to maintain confidence while taking steps to protect student/ staff confidentiality.

     3. Announce steps being taken to reduce transmission.

     4. Restate our collective responsibility to reduce transmission and where they can find additional information or resources.

     5. Provide COVID-19 POC contact information for any questions or concerns

DAILY HEALTH SCREENING (FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING DURING COVID-19)

Our plan relies primarily on a screening process conducted at the school site in accordance with recommendations from the CDC, local health organizations and the governor's office.

Facilities staff are reviewing temperature scanning kiosks and subsequent technology devices capable of formatting and protecting information within the boundaries of FERPA.

When individuals approach our screening stations they will engage in:

• 1. Hand hygiene (either through washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or the use of hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol)

  2. A visual check for a face covering or appropriate PPE

  3. They will be asked the four identified questions (see below) and have their temperature taken

Daily screening questions for students, staff, and visitors are:

Do you have any of the following symptoms ?

• 3. • Fever (100.4F) or chills

     • Cough

     • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

     • Fatigue

     • Muscle or body aches

     • Headache

     • New loss of taste or smell

     • Sore throat

     • Congestion or runny nose

     • Nausea or vomiting

     • Diarrhea

Does anyone in your household have any of the above symptoms?

Have you been in close contact with anyone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19?

Have you taken any medication to reduce a fever before coming to school?

There will be screening stations set up at all of our facilities. All individuals waiting to be screened will be staged in identified locations, specific to each site, and will be spaced at least six feet from one another. We also recognize that each student is different and that it may be more challenging for some of our students to clearly understand the questions being asked of them and will be engaging in an educational campaign prior to bringing students on campus to educate our students and their families around the screening process so that they can prepare their student for this daily process.

In preparation for bringing hybrid students to school, BISD has created a Return to Learn Handbook with a high-level overview of the many ways BISD has modified operational practices to keep students and staff as safe as possible during in-person learning.

The handbook includes videos on:

• • • The required steps prior to entering school buildings

    • Safety measures for riding the bus Please note: because of the pandemic, BISD is encouraging students to travel to and from school via walking, biking or personal vehicle, if at all possible, and leave the seats on the bus to students who need them.

In addition, the Return to Learn Handbook links to the BISD COVID-19 Safety Handbook for those who wish to dig deeper into the details.

Spanish translated document: Regresar para aprender el manual