COVID-19 Information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance on masking, as well as other COVID-19 mitigation factors. Under the new guidance, communities are rated as low, medium or high risk based on their local COVID-19 infection rates and available hospital beds. You can read the guidance for K-12 schools and search community risk levels on the CDC website.

Face Coverings Are Recommended For:

• Students, staff and visitors in all RPS buildings, regardless of vaccination status
• Individuals riding school buses/District transportation

• Students returning from a five day COVID isolation. Students can return on Day 6, wearing a mask through Day 10, if they are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and symptoms are significantly improving.

Face Coverings

A cloth or paper mask, scarf, bandana, gaiter or religious face covering that covers the mouth and nose. Whichever you choose, please ensure that there are two layers of fabric. If you are wearing a gaiter/bandana with only one layer, please fold it over to create two layers. Gaiters/bandanas are not recommended.

Face Shields

Only a clear face shield that extends below the chin in the front, to the ears on the sides and with no gap between the forehead and the headpiece may be used in certain specific circumstances.

Face Covering Does Not Mean

• Any mask or other item that includes a valve, hole, gaps or openings to facilitate easier breathing, or is made of a mesh material.
• Safety goggles that cover only the eyes or only the eyes and nose.
• A face shield.

How to Make Your Mask More Comfortable

• If it bothers your ears, you can get a headband with buttons, a plastic “ear-saver” or hook it around pigtails.
• You can purchase a mask that ties in the back of the head instead of looping over the ears.
• If your mask doesn’t fit tightly enough, try tying a knot in each ear strap. 
• If your glasses fog up when wearing the mask, try folding a small piece of tissue and setting it between your nose and the top of the mask.

Care & Disposal

• Never share or trade your face covering with someone else!
• Make sure you have a safe place to put your face covering when you take it off outside or to eat or drink so that it does not get mixed up with someone else’s.
• The same face covering can be worn throughout the school day unless it becomes dirty or wet, in which case it should be replaced with a new, clean one.
• Masks should be washed each day. You can put in the regular laundry on the warmest appropriate setting for the type of cloth or hand wash it with soap and hot water, then hang it to dry overnight.
• Used disposable masks should be thrown away.

Exemptions

• Individuals with a medical condition, mental health condition or disability that makes it unreasonable to maintain a face covering.
• Children who are 2-years-old or younger should never wear a face covering.

Exemption Process

Students who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical or behavioral health condition may be exempt from wearing a face covering. An exemption form must be signed by a parent/guardian and a medical authority. A medical authority includes a medical doctor, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner (a person licensed to write prescriptions in Minnesota). The most common accommodation would be to wear a face shield instead. 

Additional Information

• How to Wear A Mask (Minnesota Department of Health) (English) (Spanish)
• View School Board Policy 548: COVID-19 Face Covering
• Face Covering Waiver Form

At School

At Richfield Public Schools, we are implementing passive health screening. Passive health screening is one option for student health screens on arrival at school that is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This screening allows students and staff to efficiently and safely enter school spaces and engage in learning.  

Visual and verbal screens will occur as students enter the classroom and throughout the day by teachers and staff. Students who appear and/or report being ill will be isolated in a designated school area for further assessment, following guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health and Hennepin County Epidemiology.

At Home

Before your child leaves for school, we are asking parents/guardians to take their child’s temperature and confirm that they do not have any of the more common symptoms:  fever of 100.4 F or higher, new onset and/or worsening of a cough, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell, or any other of the following symptoms associated with COVID-19 or had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) with a person with confirmed COVID-19. Note that any of these less common COVID-19 symptoms alone or in combination may be a sign of COVID-19 or another illness.

• Sore throat
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Chills  
• Muscle pain
• Excessive fatigue
• New onset of severe headache
• New onset of nasal congestion or runny nose

Make a visual inspection of your child for signs of illness which could include flushed cheeks, difficulty breathing, rapid breathing (without recent physical activity), or fatigue.

If these or any other illness symptoms are present, do not send your child to school.

When to Isolate

The CDC has updated its guidance for isolation.  Isolation should take place, regardless of your vaccination status, if you have any symptoms, OR you have tested positive for COVID-19, even if you don't have symptoms. Day zero is your first day of symptoms or a positive viral test. Day one is the first full day after your symptoms developed or your test specimen was collected. If you have COVID-19 or have symptoms, isolate for at least five days.

Download the PDF of the RPS Safe Learning Plan

View Last Year's Safe Learning Plan

Richfield Public School District is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our staff, students, parents/guardians and visitors. To ensure we have a safe and healthy workplace, Richfield Public School District has developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrators and workers are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and communities, and that requires full cooperation among our workers and management. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of all persons in our workplaces.

The COVID-19 Preparedness Plan is administered by Dr. Steve Unowsky, Superintendent, who maintains the overall authority and responsibility for the plan. However, administration and staff are equally responsible for supporting, implementing, complying with and providing recommendations to further improve all aspects of this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Richfield Public School District’s administrators and supervisors have our full support in enforcing the provisions of this plan.

Our staff are our most important assets. Richfield Public School District is serious about safety and health and protecting our staff. Staff involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. We have involved our staff in this process by: Gathering input from all bargaining units, soliciting input on the processes and modifying plans to improve processes and protocols. Richfield Public School District also posted the plan on the District website and provided opportunity for public comment.

Richfield Public School District’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows the Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, as well as OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS, and state and federal current orders, including federal ESSER requirements. The following requirements must be addressed, but each entity is encouraged to consider additional recommendations and adopt additional requirements that appropriately address COVID-19 mitigation strategies the business deems necessary. 

• Health screening, isolation and quarantine  
• Hand hygiene practices 
• Cleaning and disinfecting 
• Indoor facilities, utilities and ventilation

In addition this plan addresses:

• Vaccinations 
• Continuity of services for students and staff

Staff have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess staff, student and other visitor health status prior to entering any District building and for staff to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms. Richfield Public School District has also developed a plan to advise staff, students, parents/guardians and other visitors to leave the facility if their responses to health screening indicate they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Student and Staff Home Screening (before leaving home):

Parents/guardians/staff are asked to take their (child’s) temperature before coming to school and confirm that the child/staff does not have fever, new onset shortness of breath or cough or any other of the following symptoms associated with COVID-19 or had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) with a person with confirmed COVID-19.

Make a visual inspection of your child/self for signs of illness which could include any of the following:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If these or any other illness symptoms are present, do not send your child to school and staff should not go to work.

Richfield Public School District has implemented measures to ensure that sick or COVID-19 positive staff and/or students isolate until they are no longer infectious, according to applicable CDC guidance. Visit Quarantine and Isolation. If a staff person becomes symptomatic while at work they will be sent home and will be excluded according to CDC and district guidelines. 

If a student is symptomatic at school:

• Health Service staff will assess the student.
• Students will be masked in the Health Service Office.
• Student will be excluded according to CDC and District guidelines (see Quarantine and Isolation) 
• A parent/guardian/emergency contact will be asked to pick a child up from school if unable to continue the day due to illness. Return to school allowance will be according to the recommended guidelines.

Richfield Public School District has also implemented a policy consistent with CDC and MDH guidance for identifying and communicating with staff, students and parents/guardians of students who may have been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 at their school and/or workplace and requiring them to quarantine for the required amount of time. See Quarantine and Isolation.

If a student or staff member is diagnosed as COVID-19 positive:

• RPS COVID-19 Program Coordinator and the building or program administrator will be informed.
• Site Health Service staff will be alerted.
• Student will be excluded and excused according to CDC, MDH, Hennepin County and District guidelines. 
• Staff exclusion guidance will be directed by CDC guidelines. 

Richfield Public School District has implemented a policy to provide instruction, signage, facilities and supplies to encourage regular hand washing and sanitizing. This policy is consistent with MDH: Hand Hygiene. 

Hand-washing, sanitizing

• Hand-washing will be taught and reviewed (Hand-washing video). This method is to be used in classrooms and bathrooms and any other areas where hand cleansing is required prior to or after certain activities (e.g. prior to food preparation, after a clean-up incident).
• Hand sanitizer will be available for use when hand-washing is inaccessible.

Richfield Public School District has implemented a regular schedule for cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces (workstations, keyboards, telephones, handrails, doorknobs, etc.), shared items, shared equipment and high traffic areas. Richfield Public School District will continue to perform other routine environmental cleaning according to established schedules and procedures. Appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfecting supplies have been purchased and are available for use in accordance with product labels, safety data sheets and manufacturer specifications, and are being used with required personal protective equipment for the product. This policy is consistent with CDC: Cleaning Your Facility and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) List N for products that meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2. See EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2. 

Cleaning responsibilities

• General Classroom Cleaning and End of Day Procedures (Mealtime and anytime else needed)
  • Trigger spray provided per classroom with mild soap and water for cleaning
  • Teacher and students to spray and wipe down desks counters and high touch areas at end of day
  • Place chairs upside down on desks or tables
  • Pick up large items from the floor
  • Place waste baskets by door 
• Custodian will disinfect surfaces, vacuum floors, and empty classroom waste receptacles 
• Additional intensive cleaning on non-student days
• Facilities staff schedule and locations adjusted to address cleaning needs

Richfield Public School District has evaluated the operational capacity of indoor ventilation systems and developed a plan to increase and maintain ventilation provided throughout indoor spaces. Steps will be taken to increase the intake percentage of outside air to increase dilution of contaminants, and minimize recirculation, whenever possible, while maintaining indoor air conditions. In the absence of effective mechanical ventilation, steps will be taken to increase natural ventilation as much as possible, including opening windows when possible and safe. This plan is consistent with applicable Stay Safe Industry guidance, and Richfield Public School District has consulted the resources in applicable industry guidance and others, as necessary, in developing this plan. 

Wold Architects and Engineers reviewed the district’s facilities.

• Through recent construction projects our systems have been tested to be assured that they are optimally performing. 
• Ventilation and filtration efficiency has been increased to the extent possible within the capability of the building systems and all air recirculated in the building, including each individual classroom, is filtered. 

We are:

• Continually working to improve the performance of the building systems to ensure they meet or exceed industry requirements. A typical classroom exchange rate, based on supply air delivered to the room, averages 6-8 air exchanges per hour.
• Increasing fresh air intake as part of the system settings.

Richfield Public School District will address additional COVID-19 mitigation practices as needed. Businesses are strongly encouraged to consider the recommendations in Stay Safe industry guidance, as well as other relevant guidance from the CDC, MDH, OSHA and other relevant federal, state and local authorities. In addition to all above measures, Richfield Public School District implements the following mitigation practices.

Mask Wearing

• Face coverings are recommended for all students, staff and visitors in all RPS buildings, regardless of vaccination status.
• Masks continue to be required in school Health Offices.
• Mask wearing in RPS buildings will be tied to COVID-19 Community Levels green, yellow, red.  Based on the COVID-19 Community Levels, this guidance provides flexibility so schools can adapt to changing local situations, including periods of increased community health impacts from COVID-19.  
• Students and staff may be asked to wear a mask if they are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
• School Board Policy 548: COVID-19 Face Covering describes the accepted face coverings, correct wearing of face coverings, and all additional relevant details. 

Vaccinations

All eligible individuals, staff, students and community members are encouraged to get vaccinated. Below is a link to use to find vaccination sites. 

• Minnesota Vaccination Sites

Other

• Door signage with masking recommendations and restricting access if symptomatic
• Plexiglass panels at all customer facing desks
• Encourage/require water bottles 
• Schools and ECE programs that are experiencing outbreaks will work with their state or local health department in accordance with state and local regulations. Health departments should provide timely outbreak response support to K-12 schools and ECEs.  
• At a high COVID-19 Community Level, schools can also add cohorting to limit the number of people who come in contact with each other as a way to minimize contacts across groups. Cohorting involves keeping people together in a small group and having each group stay together throughout an entire day, while minimizing contact between cohorts. When creating cohorts, schools should consider services for students with disabilities, English language learners, and other students who may receive services, and ensure equity, integration, and other requirements of applicable federal, state, local, tribal and territorial laws, including federal disability.

During the 2022-23 school year, families will be provided with both in-person and virtual learning options. Families of students who are at increased risk of severe illness (including those with special healthcare needs) or who live with people at high risk may choose to access the virtual learning option.

Support Mental Health and Wellness

• The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a tremendous amount of stress, fear and anxiety for many people. It’s important that Minnesotans have access to the mental health care resources they need to stay well during this challenging time. Schools can play an important role in helping students and staff cope, access needed resources and build resilience.
• For Employees:
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for Staff and Their Families
  • Apoyo gratuito para su bienestar emocional
  • Minnesota Health Helpline
  • Hennepin Mental Health Crisis Line
• For Families:
  • MDH: Mental Health and Wellbeing
  • CDC: Daily Activities and Going Out | COVID-19

Training and information is provided for all of the above protocols and procedures to staff in written communication and/or in-person training.