School Facilities

When students and adults return to their school buildings for in-person instruction, it will be vitally important that the physical spaces they occupy are configured and maintained in a way that provides the maximum possible protection from spreading COVID-19. Students, staff, and parents alike should plan for a drastically different learning environment than what a traditional school year may provide. The following section will provide details on what to expect while learning in a Rome City School District Facility this year.

GENERAL DISTANCING GUIDANCE AND PROTOCOLS

Wherever possible, leave six (6) feet of distance between yourself and another individual. If you must be closer than six (6) feet due to environmental constraints, students and staff must always wear a mask or face covering. Individuals should also consider changes to work practices and procedures to maintain adequate distance.

• Choose phone, email or videoconference interactions instead of face-to-face interactions whenever possible.

• The presence of non-essential visitors will be minimal. Visitors will be required to wear a face mask or covering, complete a health screening assessment, and complete a temperature screening. Note that any individual accessing our buildings, including visitors and contractors, is expected to abide by the same health and safety guidance as students and staff.

• Develop self-service alternatives to face-to-face interactions whenever possible.

• In open environments where workspaces do not allow six (6) feet of distance between staff members, we may consider alternating desk arrangements or staggering work schedules to ensure adequate social distance.

• Avoid congregating in break rooms, kitchen areas or conference rooms. In these shared spaces, continue to allow six (6) feet of distance, wear a face mask or covering, and clean and disinfect surfaces/equipment after use.

ROME CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITY USAGE

At this time, to protect our school communities, we are not allowing large, in-person, events on any school property or within any school facility. This includes outside organization presentations/meetings, clubs, field trips, guest speakers, athletics, and music activities. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, rather illustrative. Please continue to use virtual collaboration tools to the extent possible for these types of activities. As the year progresses, we will continuously assess this provision to determine if a modification is necessary based on trend data of regional infection rates.

FACILITY CAPACITIES

The following chart is a guideline for all Rome City School District facilities that are approved for student utilization. The capacities listed are representative of social distancing requirements, two (2) locations for health offices, and one (1) isolation room per building.

CHANGES TO SPACE UTILIZATION

If districts/schools expect to make space alterations to the physical space or the building, these items will be required:

• Alterations to the configuration of existing classrooms or spaces or the introduction of temporary and/or movable partitions, the change must be submitted to OFP, the local municipality and/or code enforcement officials for review.

• Means of egress, fire alarm system, ventilation, and lighting may be affected and must be indicated on all submitted plans.

• Consult your architect and submit floor plans to OFP for approval.

• COVID-19 Projects shall be indicated as “COVID-19 Reopening” when submitted to the OFP. This will allow NYSED to expedite those reviews.

• The installation of movable partitions (gym, cafeteria, Library classroom dividers) and queue barricades shall require an abbreviated submission consistent with the Form FP-AU Request for Approval of Use of a Facility.

• Use of Cafeterias, Libraries, Auditoriums and Gymnasiums: A floor plan of the entire room showing the furniture layout with egress aisles shall be submitted to OFP for approval. Lighting, ventilation, means of egress, and fire alarm coverage must be indicated.

ENTRYWAYS AND EXITS

Building staff are encouraged to be mindful of arrival/departure times to limit congestion in entryways and exits. Additionally, we ask that you:

• Use automatic door openers when available;

• When automatic door openers are not available, wash or sanitize your hands immediately after touching a shared door handle;

• Always wear a mask or face covering while entering or exiting a building;

• Although courtesy is important, don’t hold open the door for others to help increase spacing between individuals;

• Allow six (6) feet of distance while in entryways and exits whenever possible;

• Avoid gathering in main office locations, as much as possible.

All school facilities this year will use multiple points of entry and exit to minimize the number of individuals moving through one location at a given time. Each individual school will provide information to students and families during the month of August regarding these new procedures for arrival and dismissal.

CONFERENCE ROOMS AND MEETINGS

Because gathering in groups increases the risk of viral transmission, in-person meetings of any size continue to be discouraged. Use online collaboration tools (i.e. GoogleMeet, Zoom) to conduct meetings whenever possible. When working with a colleague one-on-one, use email, chat or the telephone to communicate rather than face-to-face interaction, as much as possible. If you must conduct a face-to-face meeting or use a conference room, please abide by the following guidance:

• No meeting or conference space should exceed fifty percent (50%) capacity;

• Allow six (6) feet of distance between participants;

• Wear a mask or face covering;

• Don’t shake hands;

• Disinfect all surfaces and touched items (e.g., touchpads, door handles) when you are finished.

SCHOOL HEALTH OFFICES

Each school in the Rome City School District will designate a secondary location separate from the school health office for the care of students with special care needs such as suctioning, tube feeding and nebulizers to minimize exposure to students who might be ill. The additional school health room will be as close to (if not adjacent to) the traditional school health office and will be utilized for “well visits” for students. Both school health offices will be disinfected frequently. Furniture and other surfaces in these offices will be easily disinfected without much time required to do such. All trash cans within the health offices will be a variety of a no-touch trash can.

Students visiting a health office for any reason (well visit or sick visit) must wear a face covering at all times. Nurses will check the temperature of all students prior to entering either health office. All individuals within the health office must remain socially distanced, except for when being seen by the nurse. Staff should call the health office prior to sending students to ensure that there is space and availability of a nurse at that time. Doors should remain closed throughout the day to allow nursing staff time to put on appropriate PPE before seeing a student. Door knobs will be cleaned frequently. Hand sanitizer and tissues will be readily available in our health offices and barriers will be available in our health offices to provide partitions within the office. Nurses are expected to clean and disinfect between student visits.

ISOLATION ROOMS

Each school in the Rome City School District will have a room or space separate from the school health office where students or employees who may have COVID-19 or another communicable disease will wait to be evaluated or for pickup. Students will be given a mask to wear. Only essential staff and students assigned to the room may enter, all will sign in so that there is a record of the persons who entered the room, and the room will be disinfected several times throughout the day (if utilized). Strict social distancing of six (6) feet is required, and staff must wear appropriate PPE. Students who are ill will be escorted out of the building to their parents.

CLASSROOMS

Classroom spaces will be as free of clutter as possible when schools reopen. The main objective of classroom spaces is ensuring that six (6) feet of distance between individuals can be achieved at all times, unless safety or core function of the activity (i.e., instruction) requires a shorter distance. At this time, it appears that class sizes will be limited to between ten (10) and twelve (12) students per class, depending on the room size. Student groupings within the classroom will remain as static as possible. Staff should restrict the mixing of student groups and limit the size of student groups in any specific area, as feasible. In the classroom, desks should all face the same direction to reduce the possibility of exposure and be spaced at six (6) feet, to the extent possible. Hand sanitizing stations will be present in every classroom for use by those individuals that are able to use hand sanitizer. Access to frequent hand washing will be available as well, particularly for students/staff that have allergies to hand sanitizers. To the greatest extent possible, classroom doors will remain open to minimize the need to touch the door handle to enter/exit the classroom. Finally, classrooms will be adorned with signage to help remind students/staff of the building operational procedures for in-person learning during the COVID-19 situation.

LIBRARIES

School Libraries are an integral part of the learning ecosystem, and school library media specialists play an essential role in helping students gain information, media, and digital fluency skills. Our library media specialists will continue to support classroom teachers and students in the development of necessary skills to perform in a digital world. Best practices in research and accessing information is also an essential function of a library media specialist. As schools re-open, our libraries will be closed to all students until further notice. As the year progresses, we will continuously assess the health and safety abilities of our buildings to utilize the libraries. It is anticipated that the use of school libraries will be phased in at a time that our custodial team has a good handle on their ability and understanding of how to clean and disinfect the school.

CAFETERIAS

As we begin the 2020-2021 school year, our cafeterias will not be functioning as a traditional school cafeteria. If necessary, a school’s cafeteria will be utilized as a classroom space for student in-person learning. If this provision becomes necessary, the Rome City School District will follow all guidelines related to facility alterations and changes to space utilization as outlined in the NYSED reopening guidelines.

GYMNASIUMS/LOCKER ROOMS

All locker rooms within the Rome City School District will be closed to start the 2020-2021 school year and will remain closed until further notice. As the year progresses, we will continuously assess the health and safety abilities of our buildings to utilize the locker rooms. It is anticipated that the use of locker rooms may be phased in at a time that our custodial team has a good handle on their ability and understanding of how to clean and disinfect the school. In the meantime, all students participating in in-person learning experiences should come to school prepared for physical activity on any day that physical education is on their schedule.

Gymnasiums throughout the Rome City School District will also be closed to start the 2020-2021 school year and will remain closed until further notice. As the year progresses, we will continuously assess the health and safety abilities of our buildings to utilize the gymnasiums. It is anticipated that the use of gymnasiums may be first phased in as general instructional spaces. The determination on the ability to use a gymnasium either as a general instructional space and/or for physical education will be solely dependent upon the ability of our custodial staff to maintain proper cleanliness of all other areas of the school facility.

COMPUTER LABS

Computer labs throughout the Rome City School District have been disassembled for the purpose of utilizing these spaces for additional needed space within our facilities. The art graphics lab at RFA, the business computer labs in RFA and Strough, and the Project Lead the Way computer labs in RFA remain intact, however, will only be utilized for the purposes of the specific courses that are associated with these labs.

PLAYGROUNDS

Playgrounds will be cleaned on a daily basis as per CDC guidance (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus). Outdoor areas, such as playgrounds, generally require routine cleaning, but do not require disinfection. The Rome City School District will not use spray disinfectant on our outdoor playgrounds as the guidance suggests it is not an efficient use of supplies and is not proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19. We will require all staff that prefer to allow their classes to utilize the playground to wipe down high touch surfaces made of plastic or metal at the conclusion of each recess session. Cleaning and disinfection of wooden surfaces (play structures, benches, tables) or groundcovers (mulch, sand) is not recommended. Our playgrounds will remain closed to the public at the onset of the school year to minimize the risk of an outside individual contaminating the equipment for our students.

RESTROOMS

Students will be permitted to use restrooms throughout the day, as needed. We are currently working to increase the number of partitions that are available in all restrooms throughout the district. Also, touch free paper towel dispensers are being installed to replace traditional dispenses and any hand dryer, as hand dryers can aerosolize germs. The number of people permitted in a restroom will be determined by the size of space and layout of restroom partitions to ensure at least six feet of distance between individuals. Preferably, restroom usage should be limited to one (1) individual at a time. In cases where partitions are not currently in place, and do not extend above the individual’s head, signage will indicate the use of every other toilet stall (i.e. every other urinal in a men’s restrooms will be closed off to keep individuals six feet apart). The same approach will be applied to restroom sinks that don’t allow for appropriate distancing. Staggered use of restrooms will be a standard operating procedure for 2020-2021. Bathrooms will be monitored by staff to ensure social distancing and that it is clean to the greatest extent possible throughout the school day. Students must wear a face covering while using a restroom and are required to wash their hands after use.

DRINKING FOUNTAINS

Due to the continued concerns related to exposure and the spread of COVID-19, all drinking fountain fixtures in our schools will be used for emergency purposes only. A drinking fountain that is used for the consumption of water directly from the spout, must be sanitized immediately after student use. We encourage all students to carry with them a water bottle that can be refilled as needed throughout the day. Drinking fountains can be used to refill water bottles and to the greatest extent possible, we intend to replace all drinking fountains with water bottle filling station/fountain combination fixtures.

LOCKERS

Lockers within Rome City School District facilities will not be used by students to start the 2020-2021 school year and will remain out of service until further notice. As the year progresses, we will continuously assess the health and safety abilities of our buildings to utilize lockers for student belongings. It is anticipated that the use of lockers may be phased in at a time that our custodial team has a good handle on their ability and understanding of how to clean and disinfect the school. In the meantime, all students should attend to school with minimal personal belongings, as all belongings will be housed within a student’s main classroom. At the Pre-K level, staff may use lockers to

store student belongings, however, students will not

be accessing the lockers for health/safety reasons.

SIGNAGE

Throughout all Rome City School District Facilities, there will be signage assisting people while navigating our facilities, consistent with DOH COVID-19 signage (https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/) regarding public health protections against COVID-19. Also, reminders of general safety protocols will be present in all buildings, including general social distancing reminders and/or cues. Signage throughout our facilities will be in reference to, but not limited to, the following:

• Stay home if they feel sick;

• Cover their nose and mouth with an acceptable face covering when unable to maintain social distance from others or in accordance with any stricter policy implemented by the school;

• Properly store and, when necessary, discard PPE;

• Adhere to social distancing instructions;

• Report symptoms of, or exposure to, COVID-19, and how they should do so;

• Follow hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfection guidelines;

• Follow respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.

SAFETY/EMERGENCY DRILLS

Education Law § 807 requires that schools conduct eight (8) evacuation and four (4) lockdown drills each school year. When planning drills, consideration should be given to how a school may modify their drill procedures to minimize risk of spreading infection. Conducting drills is an important part of keeping students and staff safe in an emergency, however, steps should be taken to minimize the risk of spreading infection while conducting drills. As such, it may be necessary for schools to conduct drills in the 2020-2021 school year using protocols that are different than they are used to. During any evacuation or lockdown drill, students and staff must wear a face covering and will be required to maintain all social distancing requirements. Regardless of the modification used when conducting a drill, students should be instructed that if it was an actual emergency that required evacuation or lockdown, the most imminent concern is to get to safety; maintaining social distancing in an actual emergency that requires evacuation or lockdown may not be possible and should not be the first priority.

Modifications to evacuation drill protocols may include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting drills on a “staggered” schedule, where classrooms evacuate separately rather than all at once, and appropriate distance is kept between students to the evacuation site. Staggering by classroom, minimizes contact of students in hallways, stairwells, and at the evacuation site. If conducting drills using a modified procedure, it is required that the drill be conducted with all students in the school building on that school day, it may be necessary to do so during a class period that is extended for this purpose.

Modifications to Lockdown Drills may include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct lockdown drill in classroom setting while maintaining social distancing and using masks;

• Conducting lockdown drills on a “staggered” schedule with smaller numbers of students present to maintain social distancing, however schools must be certain that all students are receiving instruction in emergency procedures and participating in drills while they are in attendance in-person; and

• Conduct lockdown drill in classroom without “hiding”/ “sheltering” but provide an overview of how to shelter or hide in the classroom.

PERSONAL BELONGINGS / EFFECTS IN BUILDINGS

While it is common that school staff often prefer to bring personal belongings, furniture, instructional aids into the classroom, personal belongings/effects will not be permitted in our classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year. This includes any form of homemade barrier or device to separate/divide students within a classroom or building. New York State schools must adhere to strict guidelines related to products and materials that are allowed in school buildings. As it directly relates to COVID-19, many districts may choose to utilize products that are not deemed safe and acceptable by NYSED, however, the Rome City School District will not jeopardize the safety of our students and staff by utilizing or allowing products that are non-compliant with NYSED regulations. Any staff member that would like further information and/or would like to request permission for utilization of personal effects in the classroom should speak with their building principal and our Facilities Department.

CONTACTS

Mr. Alex Rodriguez Mr. Mark Luczak Mr. Richard Randall

Director of Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Custodial Supervisor

arodriguez@romecsd.org mluczak@romecsd.org rrandall@romecsd.org

255 Brookley Road, Rome, NY 13440 ~ 315.334.7270

https://www.romecsd.org/facilities