Principle 9: Density and Distance

Likely Implementation Level DISTRICT

Key Recommendations for Consideration

• Determine whether additional buses/trips/routes are necessary to accommodate distancing.

• Assign seats on the bus with vacant seats marked (Jones et al. 2020).

• Employ bus aides (paid or volunteers) to ensure students are complying with distancing and masking (Jones et al. 2020).

• Stagger bus arrival and drop-off times and locations (CDC 2020).

• Encourage walking, biking, or personal transportation to reduce the number of bus riders (Jones et al. 2020).

• Walking school buses could be used for younger children (Jones et al. 2020).

• Consider adding additional crossing guards and bike racks to promote walking and biking (Jones et al. 2020).

Considerations and Questions for Team Decision-Making and Reflection

• Does the school and the district have the funds and personnel to add additional buses, trips, and routes and to hire bus aides?

Likely Implementation Level DISTRICT

Key Recommendations for Consideration

• Measure classrooms and determine class size capacity.

  • See Principle 6.1 in this guide for cohort considerations.

• We suggest that the aim is to maintain a distance of at least 3 feet between K-8 students and at least 6 feet between high school students as much as possible. Teachers and adult staff members should maintain a distance of 6 feet from other individuals. Distance and risk of transmission is a continuum — more distance is associated with reduced transmission.

• Aim to space desks and seats at least 3 feet apart in K-8 classrooms and 6 feet apart in high school classrooms. Desks should face the same way.

  • If tables are necessary, seat students on one side of the table.

• Assign stable seating arrangements to facilitate contact tracing if necessary (Santa Clara County Public Health 2020).

• Remove unused furniture in classrooms to create additional space (New Mexico Public Education Department 2020).

• Determine if there are other school spaces (like break out rooms, gyms, cafeterias, auditoriums, or portable classrooms) that could be used as temporary classrooms.

  • Aim to limit capacity to 25 (including both students and teachers) even if a larger space would allow for more people distanced at 3 feet or 6 feet, assuming full floor to ceiling walls cannot be installed

• Evaluate staffing needs for additional classrooms.

• Move classes outdoors if possible (while maintaining physical distancing).

• Consider staggering schedules to prevent interaction between different cohorts.

• Clearly label pathways for classroom movement on the floor with tape or signs.

• Create an area for the teacher to move and conduct instruction and mark this area as a student-free zone.

Considerations and Questions for Team Decision-Making and Reflection

• Are there other spaces in the community that could be used as temporary classrooms? (See Principle 5.2 for sample vetting checklist. )

• What space will be reserved for teachers to use as a break room?

Likely Implementation Level SCHOOL

Key Recommendations for Consideration

• Stagger drop-off and pick-up times and location by student cohorts (Arizona Department of Education 2020).

  • Staggering could be done by grade, class, or bus number/neighborhood (if all but the latter, will require exemptions of plans for siblings or students in different classes arriving/leaving together).

  • This may require extending the school day (AccelerateED Task Force 2020).

  • High-risk staff and students will also benefit from staggering and could represent their own cohort.

• Identify separate entrances and exits for different groups of students (Jones et al. 2020).

  • Direct students to the door closest to their classroom or homeroom (California Department of Education 2020).

• Identify staff to oversee this process.

• Communicate schedule to families.

• If students are required to wait outside, designate and clearly mark safe locations for physically distanced waiting. Ensure adequate shade.

• Consider scheduling before- and after-school extracurriculars to aid in staggering arrival and dismissal.

Considerations and Questions for Team Decision-Making and Reflection

• How many staff members will we need to oversee pick-up and drop-off?

• For high schools, can we make extra parking spaces available for students if more students will be using personal vehicles (Jones et al. 2020)?

• Based on survey results from caregivers/parents, how many more people are opting to drive their students to and from school versus riding the bus? Adjust plans if there is a significant increase in families opting to drive their students.

Likely Implementation Level SCHOOL

Key Recommendations for Consideration

• Identify alternative activities.

• Assess staffing mismatches.

• Hold physical education classes outdoors if possible, playing in small groups (Jones et al. 2020; Resolve to Save Lives 2020).

• Change physical education lesson plans to avoid close contact and shared equipment (Jones et al. 2020).

• Limit use of locker rooms (Jones et al. 2020).

• Move band and chorus outside if possible and increase space between the performers (Jones et al. 2020).

• Discourage sharing of music stands (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction 2020).

• Limit the sharing of art materials.

Considerations and Questions for Team Decision-Making and Reflection

• Do we have outdoor space available that could be used for physical education, band, or chorus?

Likely Implementation Level DISTRICT

Key Recommendations for Consideration

• While we recommend maintaining a distance of at least 3 feet for K-8 students, we suggest aiming for a distance of 6 feet between individuals as much as possible during meal times. Distance and risk of transmission is a continuum — more distance is associated with reduced transmission. Six-foot distancing is particularly important when eating, given that masks will be temporarily removed.

• Avoid having large groups in the cafeteria by eating meals in the classroom or outside.

• Collaborate with cafeteria staff and/or food vendors about pre-packaging meals /box lunches if possible.

  • Continue to allow students to bring their meals and utensils from home (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2020a).

• Use disposable food service items if possible.

  • If this is not possible, consider requesting that students bring their own clean utensils or ensure food service items are washed with dish soap and hot water either by cafeteria staff (equipped with gloves) or placed in dishwasher (Illinois State Board of Education 2020).

• Designate helpers to retrieve lunches from the cafeteria and bring them to classrooms.

  • For younger grades, helpers can be staff members. For older grades, students could assist.

• Develop a process for cleaning the classroom before and after meals.

  • Have students clean their desks before and after eating.

  • Provide classrooms with extra-large trash bags and establish a schedule for trash to be picked up by custodial staff.

• Establish hand-washing procedures before and after meals.

  • If hand-washing with soap and water isn’t possible, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content.

• Review staffing coverage for lunch breaks.

• If encouraging eating outside, create a backup plan for inclement weather.

Considerations and Questions for Team Decision-Making and Reflection

• If students eat in classrooms, can we provide an allergy-free area?

• Is there a way to instate contactless payments at school, or pay ahead for meals online?