Returning to School During the COVID-19 Pandemic Superintendent’s Amended Recommendation July 21st, 2020* * Modified July 28, 2020 (modification to slide 10, addition of slide 11)
Overarching Goals Goal 1 • Create a safe, return to school environment for students and staff, where students can actively participate in learning, having their physical and social-emotional needs met in their selected learning approach (hybrid or virtual). Goal 2 • Ensure that every student is able to actively engage in their selected learning approach (hybrid or virtual), build positive relationships, and demonstrate academic gains. 2
Why So Challenging? • Understandable anxiety about health risks for adults and children • Understandable anxiety about loss instructional time and learning • Lack of clarity and inconsistent messaging from political leaders and health experts • Media and social media greatly impacts our thoughts and reactions • Decisions of other school divisions • COVID-19 is not clearly understood how it impacts children and adults in a school setting • No clear metric right now on what determines low, moderate and high risks communities • Virtual learning and equity concerns • This is all very new and answers are not as clear as we would all like • People in Stafford have very strong and diverse beliefs 3
Considering Risk Factors in Reopening Schools Lowest Risk • Virtual-only classes, activities, & events • Small, in-person classes, activities, & events. • Students stay with the same teacher, at least 6 feet apart, & objects are not shared More Risk • Includes hybrid virtual/in-person class structures, or staggered/rotating schedules to facilitate social distancing. • Full-sized, in-person classes, activities, & events. Highest Risk • No social distancing, shared classroom materials/supplies • Students move between classes & activities 4
Cloth Face Coverings (Masks) • Students, staff and visitors will be required to wear face coverings at all times in all schools, classrooms, buses, and facilities as developmentally appropriate unless exempted due to a medical condition. • According to the CDC (2020): • “ Cloth face coverings should not be placed on: Young children under age 2; Anyone who has trouble breathing; Anyone who is unconscious or incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance .” • Employees who work in individual offices and areas may remove the face mask when they are alone. • When appropriate, face shields will be utilized by staff and/or students to meet student and staff needs. 5
Key Principles for School Re-Entry • “School policies must be flexible and nimble in responding to new information, and administrators must be willing to refine approaches when specific policies are not working”. • “It is critically important to develop strategies that can be revised and adapted depending on the level of viral transmission in the school and throughout the community and done with close communication with state and/or local public health authorities and recognizing the differences between school districts, including urban, suburban, and rural districts.” (American Academy of Pediatrics: COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry, June 25, 2020) 6
Factors Driving Final Recommendation on July 14th • Build in time to provide emotional and logistical support. Student and Family • Time for parent engagement and orientation programs Needs • Time to support student transitions and provide orientation programs (Kindergarten, 6 th , 9 th grades) • Time for building/teacher collaboration to plan & locally design on-line learning • Sufficient time for transportation to create, pilot, and adjust bus routes Staff Needs • Sufficient time for distribution of Chromebooks/other technology devices • Creation of school schedules & amendment of IEPs/504s • Time to maximize mitigation strategies Health Assessment • Provide the time necessary to assess Covid-19 local and state health data to determine any trends that might impact our plans Fiscal • Honor contractual obligations Responsibility • Adhere to the division’s budget 7
Factors Driving Amended Recommendation on July 21st • Time to maximize mitigation strategies Student and Family Needs • Provide time to assess Covid-19 impact on children and adults in a school setting • Provide targeted F2F instruction for certain students based on individual needs • Time to maximize mitigation strategies Staff Needs • Provide the time necessary to assess Covid-19 impact on children and adults in a school setting • Provide alternative funding sources to help support childcare expenses • Time to maximize mitigation strategies Health Assessment • Provide time to assess Covid-19 impact on children and adults in a school setting • Provide the time necessary to assess Covid-19 local and state health data to determine any trends that might impact our plans • Honor contractual obligations Fiscal Responsibility • Adhere to the division’s budget • Obtain a commitment from the County to fund all Covid-19 related costs to support a Hybrid and/or Virtual model including childcare, additional personnel, and mitigation strategies Local School Board Return • Movement towards 100% Virtual to School Plans State-Wide 8
Projected Additional Unfunded Costs Annual Cost Description Hybrid 100% Virtual Enhanced Contracted Cleaning $ 1,250,000 $ 750,000 Transportation Costs 400,000 - Additional Counselor Hours 98,000 98,000 Altered Meal Distribution in School 40,000 40,000 Supplement Childcare Costs for Staff 1,500,000 500,000 Additional Instructional Needs 880,000 880,000 Supplement Nutrition Fund Balance 750,000 1,250,000 Total Projected $ 4,918,000 $ 3,518,000 *Amounts shown are annual costs. *Amounts are estimates and subject to change. 9
Continual Improvement and Evaluation of Our Plan Health Data Academics • Local and State health data in • Student engagement and consultation with RAHD attendance (logs, phone calls, log- in time, etc.) • Timeline for Covid-19 testing results and tracing procedures • Student progress monitoring (task or product based) • Research and data on Covid-19 in a public school setting • Staff engagement and staffing limitations • Number of times a class, school and/or the division closes due to • Staff and parent survey to Covid-19 in consultation with evaluate effectiveness RAHD 10
VDHD Data Dashboard Preliminary Information-Components and Guidance (Dr. Peake, 7/28/20) • Data dashboard is not public and is still being refined • Data profiles will be regional, however, local health department can provide local data. • Components of the data dashboard 1. Burden 2. Trend (over 14 days) 3. Transmission extent (substantial, moderate, low, and none) • Employees are higher risk than students • Still learning about children- “this is new and we do not have models to follow” • VDHD “does not have a crystal ball” – the situation remains fluid and school systems should evaluate every week 11
Staff Calendar (No Changes from July 14th) Calendar Instructional Instructional calendar calendar New staff Existing staff ends June begins report report 16 th August 31 st* August 3 rd August 10 th (Graduation June 12 th ) *Except preschool 12
Preschool • During the weeks of August 24 th and 31 st staff will collaborate among themselves and with parents to discuss instructional delivery model options appropriate for preschool children. • September 8 th an instructional model(s) will be implemented. • Instructional options could include: • Face to face instruction • Home visit instruction • Virtual instruction • Home learning packages • Medical or parental exemption requests for 100% virtual will be honored for students 13
K-12 Vertical Alignment Virtual Model Maintains same schedule regardless of fluctuations in health conditions. Design of division-wide instructional model to move seamlessly from all virtual to hybrid learning and vice-versa. Allows students and families to stay connected with peers, a teacher, and their school. Maintains same pacing for ALL student learning, with flexibility for differentiation. 14
Elementary School • 100% Virtual Instruction for all students from August 31 st to October 1st except those in the exempted categories. • Face-to-face orientation program for students and families during the weeks of August 24 th and 31 st scheduled by the building principal. • Health and academic data analysis will occur on September 21st to determine if Hybrid Model/100% Remote Option should begin on October 6 th . • On September 24 th the superintendent will announce his decision. • Exempted categories would include: • Special education as determined by the IEP, • English Learners Level 1 & 2, • Other students as determined by building principals. and • Students with significantly weak or no Internet connectivity. 15
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