Edgewood ISD
Back to School 2022-2023
Return to In Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan
The conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are continually evolving, and Edgewood ISD’s Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan will be constantly evaluated to adapt to the continuing trends of the COVID-19 virus.
Edgewood ISD will follow recommendations for school opening and operation from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Texas Education Agency, as well as state and local health officials. Circumstances related to COVID-19 and related Variants may change throughout the school year, and this document will be updated as conditions change. If you need this plan in an alternate format, please contact Kristin Prater at kprater@edgewood-isd.net
EDGEWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 804 E. Pine ~ Edgewood, TX ~ 75117 ~ Office - 903.896.4332 ~ Fax - 903.896.7056
Dear Edgewood ISD Community
Edgewood ISD offers in person learning, along with expanded services, activities and extracurricular programs. The priorities of Edgewood ISD continue to be the safety and academic success of all students and the district continues to implement health and safety protocols as well as a plan to address pandemic-related learning loss. District Administrators will continually monitor local health conditions and review procedures and protocols, making adjustments as needed. All plans are subject to change based on regulations by the Texas Education Agency. Families and employees will be notified if changes are necessary.
Sincerely,
Kristin Prater
Kristin Prater
Superintendent
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction and Overview
EISD Multi-Stage Approach
Health and Safety Measures
Infection Control Measures
Health Screenings
Campus Operations
Learning Environments
Breakfast/Lunch
Transportation
Visitors
Sick Individual
STUDENTS
Student tests positive for COVID 19 (Isolate)
STAFF
Staff tests positive for COVID 19 (Isolate)
Possible exposure of staff by a confirmed positive COVID 19 case living within the household
Vaccinations
UIL Risk Mitigation Guidelines
Instructional Delivery Model and Continuity of Services
Traditional In-Person Learning
Social Emotional and Mental Health Support Systems
Introduction and Overview
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plans (ARP) Act was signed into law. In it, the U.S. Department of Education is providing an additional $121.9 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). This legislation will award grants to state educational agencies for providing local education agencies with emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on the elementary and secondary schools across the country.
This plan describes how Edgewood ISD will provide for the safe return to school in August of 2022 as well as provide a continuity of services for all students in our schools. This document complies with all reporting requirements of the ARP Act, the ESSER II and III grant terms established by the U.S. Department of Education.
One requirement in creating this plan was to seek stakeholder input using a variety of methods including public meetings, surveys, and needs assessments. After reviewing all of the information received through stakeholder input, top priorities were identified and the ESSER grants were written and submitted to the Texas Education Agency.
Edgewood ISD will continue to review and revise this plan at least once every six months as required by the ARP Act. Public input will be solicited if revisions are needed to the plan, and stakeholders will be meaningfully consulted. The revised version of the plan will then be posted on the website.
Edgewood ISD will abide by all current Texas Governor Orders. It is Edgewood ISD’s expectation that students, staff, and community will comply with all public health procedures described in this document while engaged in school district activities as per EISD’s current policies, rules, and regulations.
****Texas is currently under Executive Order GA-36 issued on 5/18/21 which prohibits governmental entities and officials from mandating face coverings.
EISD Multi-Stage Approach
Edgewood ISD will monitor the local/county transmission levels and see input from local health authorities to determine the risk level for students and staff. The district has identified three different transmission levels. EISD may implement stricter protocols as transmission levels rise.
SUBSTANTIAL | MODERATE | MINIMAL TO LOW |
High number of active cases in county | Moderate number of active cases in county | Small number of active3 cases in county |
Cases increasing | Cases may be increasing slightly but staying steady | Cases decreasing |
Strain on hospitals and ER’s | Hospital beds and equipment widely available | More cases attributed to travel or close contact |
All infections safety protocols enacted to greatest extent possible | Increased flexibility of safety protocols | Standard infection control protocols |
Health and Safety Measures
Infection Control Measures
- Those not fully vaccinated are encourage to wear a mask when indoors or when six feet
of social distancing is not possible.
- Physical distancing of at least 3 feet will be encouraged at all times. Please note, 3 feet of distancing is not possible in some settings.
- Students and staff are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
- Students may not share food or drinks.
- Staff will work to maintain physical distancing in restrooms where possible.
- Students and staff are encouraged to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), and PPE will be provided by EISD to all students, staff and visitors
- Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom, entrances, and throughout common spaces.
- Staff will continue to have disinfectant spray bottles and wipes in the classroom for regular cleaning.
- 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 and PE. All secondary students will be encouraged to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer regularly.
- Staff will be expected to regularly wash or sanitize their hands.
- If in a situation without a face covering, students, staff, and visitors should cover coughs, sneezes with a tissue, and if not available, covered in their elbows. Hands should be washed immediately after sneezing or coughing.
Health Screenings
- Staff, students, parents, and community are expected to self screen before entering any building in district.
- Teachers and staff will monitor students throughout the day and refer the student showing symptoms to the school nurse if symptoms are present. The school nurse (or designee if the nurse is not available) will complete a screening and contact parents.
Campus Operations
- Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom, at entrances, and throughout common spaces.
- Restrooms will continue to be disinfected frequently during the school day.
- Campuses will be disinfected daily and throughout the day with special attention to high-touch surfaces.
- 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, decreasing levels of humidity etc.
Learning Environments
- Desks, tables, and seating arrangements will be arranged to maximize space between students. This may be difficult due to high enrollment numbers in some classes
- Staff will have access to disinfecting supplies to sanitize high-touch surfaces.
- Students will share in the responsibility of cleaning their spaces.
- Staff will limit the use of shared supplies when possible.
- The use of outdoor space for learning will be considered when possible.
Breakfast/Lunch
- Self-Serve counters will not be utilized
- Students may not share open food or drink.
- Meals will be in placed on disposable plates and condiments and pre wrapped silverware will be included with all meals, when available. Due to shortages, EISD may not be able to use disposable plates and silverware.
- Students will receive lunch in the cafeteria and utilize outdoor seating weather permitting.
- All areas will be sanitized between lunches.
Transportation
- EISD will continue to provide bus transportation, but parents will be encouraged to transport their children to school daily, if possible, as it is the safest means of transportation due to COVID-19.
- Family members will be encouraged to sit together so as to conserve spacing.
- All buses will have hand sanitizer for use when loading/unloading.
- All buses will be sanitized and wiped down daily between trips.
- Weather permitting, bus windows will be partially open (at minimum) during routes to provide for additional ventilation.
- Face coverings are highly encouraged on buses.
Visitors
- Visitors during the school day, including parents, will be restricted for essential school operations. Non-emergency drop-offs...i.e. snacks, lunch, instruments, Sonic, etc. are discouraged. If a parent/guardian would like to eat with a child for a special occasion, an appointment must be made with the campus office. We have limited capacity in the cafeterias.
- Parents/Guardians will be allowed to attend school events.
- Campuses will utilize virtual meeting options to limit campus visitors when possible.
- Physical distancing measures will be used for all meetings that are not able to be virtual.
- All visitors not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear a face covering upon entering the building.
- Any visitor who needs to go beyond the front office will sign-in.
- EISD will monitor city and county cases and if there is a substantial increase in cases, campuses will not allow visitors and will implement stricter social distancing protocols.
Sick Individual
If a child or staff member is feeling sick and running a fever, regardless of whether you are vaccinated or not, please stay home and contact your physician and campus as soon as possible.
Those who test positive for COVID 19 need to stay home and isolate for five-days and follow the return to school guidance below. They should report the positive test result to their campus administration or supervisor immediately.
STUDENTS
Student tests positive for COVID 19 (Isolate)
Everyone, regardless of vaccination status
- Stay home for 5 days.
- After 5 days and have been fever free for 24 hours with no symptoms or symptoms are resolving, students may return to school
STAFF
Staff tests positive for COVID 19 (Isolate)
Everyone, regardless of vaccination status
- Stay home for 5 days.
- After 5 days and fever free for 24 hours with no symptoms or symptoms are resolving, staff member may return to school on Day 6
Please visit the following links for information on where to receive COVID 19 Vaccine Information:
https://www.nethealthcovid19.org/vaccine-updates
https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/retail-pharmacy-program/participating-pharmacies.html
UIL Risk Mitigation Guidelines
- As provided in the DSHS rule, school systems must exclude students from attending school in person who are actively sick with COVID-19 or who have received a positive test result for COVID-19.Parents must ensure they do not send a child to school on campus if the child has COVID-19 symptoms or is test-confirmed with COVID-19, until the conditions for re-entry are met.
- In the case of an individual who is symptomatic and is 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 5 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
- In addition to the criteria and processes described above, a student who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 must receive clearance from a physician prior to returning to participation in UIL Marching band or Athletic activities.
Instructional Delivery Model and Continuity of Services
Traditional In-Person Learning
- On-Campus In-Person Learning is available for students in Prekindergarten through Grade 12.
- Students will attend school on a regular instructional schedule and will engage in face-to face learning on campus all day, every day.
- Grading guidelines for On-Campus In-Person Learning will be the same as required by the Texas Education Agency.
- District will follow state and local guidance to ensure safe, sanitary, and secure learning environments. Other recommended guidelines and local operational adjustments will be considered with input from teachers, staff members, school health advisory council, parents, and students as appropriate.
- Extracurricular activities will be offered to the maximum extent possible.
- The district plans to issue a device to every student to use at school and also at home as needed.
Social Emotional and Mental Health Support Systems
Addressing the mental health and social-emotional development of all students, staff and community by following best practices in the areas of school-based mental health services, behavioral support systems, family engagement and support practices, staff supports, and other key systems and supports.
- Social Emotional Learning lessons and activities to support students related to COVID-19 experiences, trauma, and school closure will be developed for all campuses, primarily using Second Step.
- EISD has added a licensed Mental Health Counselor to address the needs of students and staff.
- EISD has added a Parent Engagement Liaison to help provide support for parents and community.