HUNTINGTON ISD Back-To-School Plan

The conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are continually evolving, and Huntington ISD’s Safe Return-to-School plans will be constantly evaluated to adapt to the continuing trends of the COVID-19 virus, especially in the City of Huntington and Angelina County.

Please know that Huntington ISD will follow recommendations for school opening and operation from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as state and local health officials. Circumstances related to COVID-19 may change throughout the coming school year, and this document will be updated as conditions change.

Updated per TEA Public Health Guidance - March 25, 2021

Health and Safety Measures

Infection Control Measures

• Schools will abide by any Governor Order regarding face coverings (ie, if school was in session on July 9th, everyone age 10 or older would be required to wear a face covering for much of the school day)

• If the Governor’s Order ceases, HISD students and staff will continue to follow our current mask protocols until such a time as the HISD Board of Trustees modifies or eliminates by formal action the mask-related requirements.

• Face coverings include cloth masks, gaiters, face shields or anything else that provides covering over the nose and mouth.

  • Please note that if the number of cases in Huntington and other data points increase past a certain threshold, regardless of a Governor’s Order, face coverings may be required in the future

  • Students taking in-person Dual Credit courses from Angelina College at HHS will be required to follow the college protocols. *There is a high probability these classes will shift online

  • It is important to note that if students or staff come into “close contact” with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days (follow process map).

• Social distancing of at least 6 feet will be encouraged at all times, including 12 feet between cohort groups where possible (PreK-5th)

  • It is important to note that under any scenario where all students are allowed to attend every day, that social distancing may not be possible as there is not enough square footage in our classrooms or campuses with most students attending daily. We will monitor and encourage social distancing to the best of our ability.

• Water fountains will be available for filling of water containers only

• Staff will work to try to maintain social distancing at restrooms where possible *See note above about the feasibility of this with all/most students attending school

• Students and staff may provide their own personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE will be provided as needed to staff and students

• Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom, entrances, and throughout common spaces

• Staff will be expected to regularly wash or sanitize hands

• Students will have instruction on effective hand-washing. Elementary students will wash hands or use hand sanitizer before eating, following restroom breaks and after recess. All secondary students will be encouraged to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer regularly.

• Students, staff, and visitors will be encouraged to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and if not available, covered in their elbows. Used tissues should be thrown in the trash, hands should be washed immediately with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or hand sanitizer should be used.

Health Screenings

• Staff will self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming onto campus each day

• Parents/guardians are expected to screen their students for COVID-19 symptoms each day prior to sending their students to school

• Teachers will monitor students and refer to the nurse if symptoms are present

• Visitors required to complete health screening to determine if they have any COVID-19 symptoms or have come into close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19 upon entry into the building *See Visitor section for more information

Campus Operations

• Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom, entrances, and throughout common spaces

• Campuses will open multiple entrance/exit points during arrival/dismissal to promote social distancing

• Campuses will review options to reduce large group gatherings at the start and end of the day as well as other events

• Visual aids will be used to illustrate appropriate spacing and traffic flow throughout the building

• Mixing between cohort groups will be limited as much as possible (PreK-5th) *This may not be possible for the entire day as multiple classes join together for specials like PE

• Restrooms will continue to be disinfected daily / Classrooms will have surfaces disinfected daily

• Classroom doors will be propped open during transitions to reduce high-touch areas

• Where possible, one-way traffic throughout campus corridors will be established

• Staff will work to try to minimize group traffic at lockers where possible

• Custodians will wear face coverings and gloves during work hours

• Campuses will develop schedules and protocols for the use of common areas (labs, flexible spaces, libraries, conference rooms, etc.), including how to sanitize between use. Hand sanitizer will be available in all common areas.

• Procedures and protocols will be put into place to address locker rooms. Protocols will be in place for disinfecting equipment, students changing clothes, students showering, distancing of students, etc.

Learning Environments

• Desks and tables will be arranged to maximize space between students

  • We may not be able to place students 6 feet apart due to square footage of rooms, but will do all we can to accommodate the required social distancing

• The number of students participating in small group instruction at one time will be limited

• Staff will have access to disinfectant wipes to sanitize high-touch and working surfaces and shared objects regularly

• To support contact tracing, students will have assigned seats, and a seating chart will be maintained by the classroom teacher

• Staff will limit the use of shared supplies where possible

  • All students (K-12) will be issued an individual device (iPad for K-3 / Chromebook 4-12) to reduce sharing of devices

• The use of outdoor space for learning will be considered when possible. Classroom groups working outside will maintain at least 12 feet of social distance between other classroom groups

Breakfast / Lunch

• Cafeteria staff will wear face coverings and gloves and will follow all health & safety protocols

• Self-serve counters will be eliminated

• Students will be encouraged not to share food or drink

• Meals will be in disposable packaging and condiments and pre-wrapped silverware to be included with all meals

• “Grab and go” meals for breakfast may be utilized to lower numbers in the cafeterias

• Lunch tables will be spread out across cafeterias to maximize space between groups

• Where possible, cohorts will be grouped together to eat lunch with 12 feet of space in between cohorts

• Plexiglass shields will be used at cashier counters and serving counters

• All tables will be sanitized between lunches

Transportation

• Ridership will remain at typical district capacity *We will social distance based on number of riders

• Parents will be encouraged to transport their children to school daily as it is the safest means of transportation due to COVID-19

• Under the Governor’s Order, face coverings are required of all riders. Once the Governor’s Orders cease, face coverings are highly encouraged. Please note that if your child does not wear a face covering and there is a positive case, they may be asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

• To support contact tracing, students will be assigned seats

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

• All buses will be sanitized and wiped down daily

• Bus windows will be partially open (at minimum) during routes to provide for additional ventilation where appropriate

Visitors

• Visitors will be restricted for those essential to school operations. Non-emergency drop-offs...i.e. snacks, lunch, instruments, Sonic, etc. are prohibited. Parents will not be allowed to eat lunch at the school until further notice.

• All visitors who enter the building are required to wear a face covering

• Campuses will utilize virtual meeting options to limit campus visitors when possible

  • Social distancing is encouraged for all meetings that are not able to be virtual

• Any visitor who needs to go beyond the front office will be subject to a health screening

  • Visitors required to complete health screening to determine if they have any COVID-19 symptoms or have come into close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19 upon entry into the building

  • Any visitor who has COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms or have come into close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19 must remain off campus until the 14-day incubation period has passed

Isolation Procedures Related to COVID-19

• If a student or staff member have displayed symptoms of COVID-19, the school nurse will provide a clinical assessment to determine if and when a student/staff needs to be sent home

  • If a student or staff member is assessed and exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 during the school day, the cohort will be located to an alternate area while the room is being disinfected

• Any individuals who themselves either: (a) are lab-confirmed to have COVID-19; or (b) experience the symptoms of COVID-19 (listed below) must self-isolate throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met:

  • In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:

    • at least 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications);

    • the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and

    • at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

  • In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above.

  • If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis.

• Students or staff who come into close contact This document refers to “close contact” with an individual who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19. The definition of close contact is evolving with our understanding of COVID-19, and individual scenarios should be determined by an appropriate public health agency. In general, close contact is defined as:

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

b. being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes; 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 may affect this determination.

Either (a) or (b) defines close contact if it occurred during the infectious period of the case, defined as two days prior to symptom onset to 10 days after symptom onset. In the case of asymptomatic individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, the infectious period is defined as two days prior to the confirming lab test and continuing for 10 days following the confirming lab test. See the Return to School Criteria

• District communication will be provided to the staff and students who came in contact with anyone who tests positive for COVID-19

• HISD will immediately sanitize all areas that had exposure from someone who tested positive. In the event that this cannot be done before the start of the next school day, HISD may need to close for a day to complete this process if relocating students is not an option.

• Any student requiring quarantine will transition to Remote Learning for the period of self-isolation

• Staff needing to self-isolate for exposure to COVID-19 will be based on whether the exposure was on-duty (at school or a school-related duty) or off-duty (did not occur at school or a school-related duty). Staff asked to self-isolate due to on-duty exposure will be asked to work remotely and leave will not be impacted. Staff needing to self-isolate due to off-duty exposure (home/personal) will need to access leave during self-isolation. A positive diagnosis of COVID-19 will qualify staff for Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL), available through December 2020 which gives access to two weeks of additional leave for employees.

Clinic Procedures Related to COVID-19

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

• If COVID-19 symptoms are present: staff member will be sent home, and student will be isolated from other students and asked to put on a face covering until parent arrives

• COVID-Facilitator will notify campus administrator to move the student’s class so that the space can be disinfected

• Student will be escorted to vehicle upon parent arrival

• Administrator/COVID-Facilitator will provide parent/staff with Return to School Criteria

• Contact tracing for lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be conducted

Notification Procedures Related to COVID-19

• Consistent with school notification requirements for other communicable diseases, and consistent with legal confidentiality requirements, schools must notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in a school if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among students, teachers or staff who participate on any on campus activities. If you were determined to have had close contact you will be individually contacted

• Contract tracing for lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be conducted to determine who came into close contact with

• Close contact will be determined by HISD in working in conjunction with our local health authority. Close contact is defined as:

  • See definition of Close Contact below

Example: A HES student tests positive in the third grade. All HES parents are notified that a student has tested positive at the campus. Through contact tracing, HISD determines who has been in “close contact” and contacts those families to determine next steps (which may or may not include self-isolation depending on if face coverings were worn and degree of contact).

Definition of COVID-19 Symptoms

In evaluating whether an individual has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, consider the following question:

Have they recently begun experiencing any of the following in a way that is not normal for them?

o Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit

o Loss of taste or smell

o Cough

o Difficulty breathing

o Shortness of breath

o Fatigue

o Headache

o Chills

o Sore throat

o Congestion or runny nose

o Shaking or exaggerated shivering

o Significant muscle pain or ache

o Diarrhea

o Nausea or vomiting

Definition of “Close Contact”

This document refers to “close contact” with an individual who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19. The definition of close contact is evolving with our understanding of COVID-19, and individual scenarios should be determined by an appropriate public health agency. In general, close contact is defined as:

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

b. being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes; 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 may affect this determination.

Either (a) or (b) defines close contact if it occurred during the infectious period of the case, defined as two days prior to symptom onset to 10 days after symptom onset. In the case of asymptomatic individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, the infectious period is defined as two days prior to the confirming lab test and continuing for 10 days following the confirming lab test.

Return To School Criteria

Individuals Confirmed or Suspected with COVID-19

Any individuals who themselves either: (a) are lab-confirmed to have COVID-19; or (b) experience the symptoms of COVID-19 (listed below) must stay at home throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met:

• In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:

  • at least 24 hours have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications);

  • the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and

  • at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

• In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above.

• If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either (a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis or (b) obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing location that comes back negative for COVID-19.

• All employees must complete a COVID-19 Reporting Form.