Fort Thomas Independent Schools will ensure that all board owned property is maintained and cleaned frequently during the 2020 - 2021 school year. It is our goal to instill in our staff and students a district-wide mindset to work as a team to clean and disinfect at every opportunity. The steps we have put in place include the following.

• A minimum 60% ethyl alcohol gel hand sanitizer will be placed in every learning space and a supply to refill these containers will be maintained.

• A dispenser containing a minimum 60% ethyl alcohol foaming hand sanitizer will be placed at school entry points, in reception areas, and where otherwise required.

• Frequent cleaning and disinfection of all aspects of board owned property throughout the school year. If a surface is dirty, it will be cleaned using our standard cleaning solutions and water then disinfected using products that are registered and listed as effective against SARS-CoV-2 with the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Clean and disinfect high-touch shared tools and objects between each use. Examples are whiteboard markers, remote controls, copier controls, etc.

• Frequently touched surfaces shall be disinfected a minimum of three times per day. Examples are handrails in stairwells, door handles, countertops in common areas, etc.

• Water fountains will be cleaned and sanitized frequently throughout the school day. If possible, students should provide their own reusable water bottles or cups to be refilled with water throughout the day. This will reduce the number of students drinking directly from the water fountains.

• Classroom area rugs have been removed from all spaces and will be stored.

• Personal furniture should be removed to conserve space in the learning spaces.

• Soft surfaced furniture should only be used if they can be regularly cleaned and disinfected after each use. Cleaning and disinfection should be performed with manufactured approved products and following their directions. If they are not being used, they should be removed from the learning spaces and stored.

• Carpeted floors should have visible dirt and stains removed by regular vacuuming and spot removal.

• Individuals involved in the cleaning and disinfection process should wear PPE appropriate for the tasks they are involved with and the products to be used.

• All products used in the cleaning and disinfection process should be stored under the conditions specified by the manufacturer. Some, but not all, of these products may have to be locked up in their storage location. Cleaning and disinfection products stored in learning locations should be kept out of the reach of the students in that space.

Fort Thomas Independent Schools will take all precautionary measures to control access to our facilities following the guidelines established by state and local public health officials. These measures would include the following:

• Minimize entry points for students, staff, deliveries, and visitors.

• Establish building protocols for building entry and clearly communicate them through signage. The protocols shall include having hand sanitizer and other PPE available at designated entry points.

• Limit access for visitors and volunteers to essential visits only.

The Kentucky Department of Education has provided guidance to assist schools in determining best practices for indoor air quality in our facilities. This guidance was developed, in part, from the recommendations from ASHRAE, the American Society  of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. We will continue to monitor the latest guidance from KDE and ASHRAE to continually ensure we are providing the highest level of indoor air quality in our buildings.

Our current actions to be taken include the following:

• Increase frequency of filters changes in HVAC equipment.

• When weather permits, increase ventilation by increasing the amount of outside air brought into the buildings by the HVAC systems.

• Maintain recommended temperature ranges of

  • Cooling Season - 72 - 76 degrees

  • Heating Season - 68 - 72 degrees

• Maintain recommended humidity ranges between 40% - 60%

• Schedule operation of the HVAC system to begin at least two hours prior to first occupancy of a building and allow it to operate two hours after last occupancy of a building.

• Schedule Make-up Air Units and Energy Recovery Units to operate on a “fan only” status when buildings are not occupied to allow additional ventilation via outside air.