Safety Protocols & Guiding Principles

Parents will be asked to take their child(ren)’s temperature each morning before sending them to school

All students and staff must complete a daily online self-screening survey before entering a school or district building

Parents and guardians are required to immediately notify the building principal and school nurse if their child becomes sick with COVID-19 symptoms, and should contact their health care provider for additional guidance

In classrooms with high-risk students, a nurse will conduct temperature checks of faculty, staff and students each day

Employees will be asked to take their own temperature each morning before arriving to work (<99.5°)

Random temperature checks will be conducted by the school nurse as students enter the building each day

RTSD will closely monitor daily absence rates of students and employees

Targeted deep cleaning of schools on a daily basis following established Custodial Services protocols for enhanced cleaning during cold and flu season

Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces (e.x.: railings, door handles, sink handles, student desks, etc.) within the school and on the school buses at least daily

Clean and disinfect bathrooms and handles, railings and high touch areas of playground equipment frequently throughout the day

Equipment (tools, utensils, headphones, balls, shields, etc.) that must be shared and may be used by multiple individuals for curricular and extracurricular activities such as music, art, technology education, family and consumer science, or physical education classes should be cleaned intermittently during meetings, practices, competitions or class

Signage will be posted around school and district buildings regarding wearing of masks, washing hands and other hygiene best practices

Each building will be assessed to ensure that proper signage is posted

Disable all water fountains except for bottle filling stations

Installation of additional bottle filling stations throughout schools

Installation of hand sanitizers throughout all buildings

Clean and disinfect buses and other district vehicles used to transport students after AM runs, and again after PM runs

Roof vents and windows will be open on buses, weather permitting, to increase fresh air circulation

Consider keeping classroom doors open to limit the use of door handles when possible

Ongoing daily inspections of building areas scheduled for use by lead custodian and/or Supervisor of Custodial Services

Disinfecting wipes or paper towels and spray bottles with disinfecting solution will be provided in all classrooms for routine disinfecting of personal high touch items

Regular changing of HVAC filters in each building

Exploration of innerduct UV lights or bipolar ionization for building HVAC systems

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommendations for additional outside air will be implemented as feasible

Manufacturer and/or service firms will be consulted to consider any additional preventative measures that should be considered for sanitizing and disinfecting air handling systems

All employees will be required to wear masks or face shields, or be behind plexiglass when interacting with students, visitors or other employees at a distance of 6 feet or less feet

All employees will be provided with face shields

Primary grade teachers, and teachers who have students with a hearing impairment or disability are encouraged to use face shields or transparent face masks to allow students to see their mouth during communication

A face mask is required for any employee who is operating a district owned vehicle unless doing so creates an unsafe condition to operate equipment

Employees are not required to wear a face covering in situations where wearing a face covering creates an unsafe condition to execute a particular task

Students in grades K-12 must wear face masks at all times including, but not limited to: the bus stop, on the bus, when arriving at school, in the hallways, bathrooms, offices, and classrooms, and during transitions; students may remove their face mask at meal time (ie: during lunches); all students in grades K-12 will be provided with face shields and may elect to wear both their face mask and their face shield

Parents/guardians may choose to have their child(ren) wear a family purchased face mask, or both a family purchased face mask and face shield

Disposable face masks will be available in each classroom and on each school bus in the event a student’s face mask breaks, becomes soiled, or is lost

Building principals have discretion for determining whether a face mask is sufficient in quality, and requiring students or staff to wear a different face mask if the one they are using is deemed ineffective (e.x.: crocheted face masks)

Students in grades K-12 who refuse or are unable to wear a face mask will not be permitted to attend school for in-person learning and will be required to participate in the online only program; likewise, students in grades K-12 who refuse or are unable to wear a face mask on a bus will not be permitted to ride the bus

Parents whose child has a documented medical or mental health condition or disability, documented in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or IDEA, that precludes the student from wearing a face mask in school need to request a meeting with the student’s IEP/504 team to discuss possible accommodations

Students will be afforded 6 feet of separation between desks in classrooms to the maximum extent feasible

Remove all non-essential items and furniture from classrooms

Desks will be staged to face in the same direction, or students will be directed to sit on only one side of tables to limit face-to-face seating

Hold classes in gyms, auditoriums, LGIs, other large spaces, or outdoors when possible

Restrict interactions between different groups of learners to the greatest extent possible

RTSD will consider an AM-PM schedule for grades K-5, and an A-B schedule for grades 6-12, to afford students and employees greater spacing in classrooms, cafeterias, hallways, etc.; under this model, students classified as Special Education, English Language Learners, and Economically Disadvantaged will have the option to attend everyday at the middle school and high school

Continue to reassess procedures for all areas to ensure the safety of students and employees are at the forefront

Hold group meetings such as back-to-school nights, parent-teacher conferences, faculty and staff meetings, professional development trainings, student orientations, teacher induction, department/curriculum/grade level meetings, etc. via Zoom or another live streaming platform whenever possible

Plexiglass installation in high traffic areas such as receptionist/secretarial areas, library circulation desks, cafeterias, etc.

Plexiglass installation in classrooms at teacher desks/workstations and/or mobile plastic partitions

Ensure communications to families about safety and hygiene protocols are available in common languages spoken at home and are easy to understand for students and parents/guardians

Per PDE guidance, assigned seats will be required in all classrooms and attendance will be taken to assist the Board of Health with potential contact tracing

School Board resolution declaring an “emergency” under section 520.1 of the School Code giving administration flexibility to meet student education needs through various methods including virtual education

For music classes:

• Divide large classes into manageable groups and consider sectional or small group style lessons

• Conduct classes outside or in large areas such as the auditorium, gym, LGI, etc. to the greatest extent possible

• Chorus – students and teachers must wear face masks and face shields at all times

• Band and orchestra – students must wear face masks at all times, mutes will be used for instruments, teachers must wear face masks and face shields

• Students must wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after practice