COVID-19 Information 2020-21

These resources were used to develop this COVID-19 Guide.

• MDH Decision Tree
• 2020-2021 MDH Planning Guide
• CDC Schools and Childcare settings
• MDE Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year

Scenario 1: In-person learning for all students.
Scenario 2: Hybrid model with strict social distancing and capacity limits.

Table of Contents

1. COVID-19 Coordination

2. Social Distancing and Minimizing Exposure 

3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 

4. Delivering Direct Student Support Services

5. Protecting Vulnerable Populations 

6. Hygiene Practices

7. Cleaning and Materials Handling

8. Monitoring and Excluding for Illness

9. Handling Suspected or Confirmed Positive Cases of COVID-19

10. Water and Ventilation Systems

11. Transportation

12. Support Mental Health and Wellness

Nurses, Health Assistants, and alternate administrator designee(s) will:

• Isolate ill individuals and exclude according to MDH, Hennepin County, District guidance.
  • MDH Decision Tree
  • Hennepin County
  • Richfield Public Schools:
    • Centennial
    • RDLS
    • R-STEM
    • RMS
    • RHS
    • Sheridan
    • RCEP
    • SEC
    • Central Education Center
• Communicate with parents/guardians and health care providers as needed/directed.
• Alert reports of confirmed COVID-19 cases to site administrator(s).
• Cooperate with Regional Support Team/MDH/community public health on cases, close contacts and on any other requested action by public health authorities.

Health Assistants will:

• Implement the plan/identified steps under the direction of the site administrator.
• Contact assigned nurse and site administrator when a COVID-19 case is reported. 
  • MDH: What To Do When Notified of Lab-Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in a School or Child Care Setting
• Collect information at the direction of the Licensed School Nurse, Regional Support Team/MDH, and/or community public health.
• Collaborate with Attendance Clerk on absences related to COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms, including MDH and/or provider stay-at-home guidance.

Nurses will:

• Contact District Nurse when a COVID-19 case is reported.
  • MDH: What To Do When Notified of Lab-Confirmed Case of COVID-19 in a School or Child Care Setting
• Collect information as directed by District Nurse, Regional Support Team/MDH, and/or community public health.
• Communicate with site administrator(s), other school staff, parents/guardians, health care providers, Regional Support Team/MDH/community public health if/as directed by District Nurse. 

COVID-19 Program Coordinator will:

• Know the bi-weekly county case rate of 10 or more cases per 10,000 as shared by Hennepin County Community Health Department.
  • Bloomington Public Health staff - Karen Stanley, Manager of Disease Prevention & Clinical Services 952-563-8990 kstanley@bloomingtonmn.gov) 
  • City of Richfield community health staff (Jennifer J. Anderson, CHS Administrator/Support Services Manager 612-861-9881 jennifer.anderson@richfieldmn.gov)
• Collect information from Health Service staff on COVID-19 confirmed cases.
• Communicate with parents/guardians, health care providers, Regional Support Team/MDH/community public health as needed when a confirmed case of COVID-19 is reported.
• Consult with Regional Support Team to arrange for:
  • Identification and notification of close contacts.
  • Determination, with District team, whether additional mitigations strategies are needed.
• Provide initial and updated status information to District Cabinet.
• Receive and report data to MDH when absence of or individuals sent home with influenza/influenza-like illness (ILI) or COVID-19-like illness is more than 5% of the total number of students and staff within a single week at a site.
  • Collect daily site data on absences reported with ILI/COVID-19-like symptoms
  • Calculate percentage of students who report as absent
  • Collaborate with Human Resources staff on site weekly staff absence
  • Communicate with MDH when weekly ILI/COVID-19-like illness reaches more than 5% of site students and staff.
• Coordinate general and situational Health Service responses at District and site levels.
• Advise District Cabinet on COVID-19 requirements and recommendations.

Attendance Clerk(s) will:

• Include in absence messaging a request for specific symptoms or health care provider diagnosis from parents/guardians who call their child in to school as ill and absent.
• Alert Health Service staff of parents/guardians reporting diagnosed COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms.
• Collaborate with Health Service staff on absences related to COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms, including MDH and/or provider stay-at-home guidance.
• Excuse absences as indicated in exclusion guidance.

Site Outreach Worker(s) will:

• Collaborate with Health Service staff, Attendance Clerks, and Social Worker and/or Counselor to communicate information to and from parents/guardians, Health Service staff, health care providers and others as needed.

Site Administrator(s) will:

• Schedule initial and updated trainings/communication with staff.
• Establish a site process and place(s) for universal distribution and situational replacement of PPE that is neither by Health Service staff nor in Health Service space.
• Support triage fostering separation of ill and well individuals.
• Identify alternate spaces and support for students experiencing mental health challenges.
  • Students who are experiencing anxiety or other mental health symptoms/crisis should utilize other student support services unless it is impacting their physical health.
• Identify isolation space at their site in coordination with assigned Health Service staff.
• Communicate with parents/guardians who have policy/protocol questions/concerns.
• Develop a simple, friendly reminder system promoting daily awareness of the value in reporting symptoms or confirmed cases and positively promoting timely and accurate participation.
• Engage parents/caregivers of students who are enrolled in the distance-only component to be reporting symptoms and confirmed cases.

Parents/Guardians/Students will:

• Adhere to MN Executive Orders, State Statutes, MDH and Hennepin County requirements and recommendations, and District policies and protocols.

• Communicate with school staff in a timely and on an as needed basis relative to health status and attendance.

MDH/Regional Support Team will:

• Investigate.

• Advise on notifications.

• Recommend communication.

For additional Information: COVID-19 Coordination

Limiting face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing, also called “physical distancing,” means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. To practice social or physical distancing, stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people. In addition to everyday steps to prevent COVID-19, keeping space between you and others is one of the best tools we have to avoid being exposed to this virus and slowing its spread locally and across the country and world.

Limit close contact with others outside your household in indoor and outdoor spaces. Since people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, it is important to stay away from others when possible, even if you—or they—have no symptoms. Social distancing is especially important for people who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. The expectation of Richfield Public Schools is that students, staff, and visitors not enter school buildings, grounds, and vehicles when they are sick.

Floor Markings

• Hallways (and waiting and reception areas) will be marked one-way directional on each side of the hall with 6 foot distancing stickers. (Lunchrooms, restrooms and locker rooms will also be marked with 6 feet spacing.)
• Classrooms will be marked to divide seating areas following distancing guidelines and furniture placed appropriately. 
  • Guidance: 
    • Only use district provided floor markings.
    • Adhesive tape is not permitted on carpeted surfaces, walls or doors.
    • Velcro stripes and dots will be provided for carpeted surfaces.
    • Vinyl tape and vinyl social distancing stickers for hard surface floors.
    • Building admin and custodian to provide assistance for floor marking.
    • Classroom marking design to be consistent by building.
• Hallways will be marked one-way directional on each side of the hall with 6 foot distancing stickers.

Passing Time, Restrooms, Recess, Hallways

• Staff will monitor student arrival and dismissal times. 
• Maintain students in “pods” as much as possible.
• Consider fewer hallway transitions.
• Students use restrooms as needed with hallway supervision.
  • Increase restroom cleaning frequency
• Recess:
  • Playground disinfection will be difficult to maintain.
  • Encourage social distancing type games on athletic fields.

Breakfast and Lunch

• Students will eat breakfast and lunch in the classroom.

• Large trash, recycle and organics barrels will be placed in the hallways.

• Buildings will coordinate times between classrooms for dumping food trays.

• Teacher and students clean desks after lunch.

• Custodians will empty large barrels after the lunch break.

• Custodians will return barrels to hallways for end of day departure.

• Meals, snacks, and beverages served at school must be individually packaged, wherever possible. Where individual packaging is not possible, food and beverages must be served directly to students. As always, ensure the safety of children with food allergies.

Buses

• Students will be assigned one student per seat on the bus. Buses will load from back to front, with an average of 22 students per bus.

Visitors 

• Nonessential visitors, volunteers, and activities involving external groups or organizations will be restricted from entering district buildings. 

Child Care Program

• Child care will be provided for children enrolled in Richfield Public Schools, PreK to grade 5 (age 4 -12) whose parents/guardians are Tier 1 critical workers. This care is intended for extreme circumstances in which no parent or guardian is at home, due to employment as a critical worker. The RPS program offered will provide instructional support at the school sites during the regular school hours. Additional information and enrollment Tier 1 Instructional Support.

For additional Information: Fall Re-Entry Social Distancing, Health & Safety Plan

Face Coverings 

• Face coverings are required. Face coverings must be worn by students, staff and visitors while in District buildings and on district transportation vehicles except where exceptions are provided by the executive order
  • How to Safely Wear Your Mask
  • Allowable face coverings include: paper or disposable masks, cloth face masks, scarfs, bandanas, and/or religious face coverings. The face covering should cover the mouth and nose completely. 
• Face coverings will be provided
  • Every K-12 student will receive one cloth face covering. 
  • Every school staff member will receive one cloth face covering. 
  • Every school will receive three disposable face masks per student. 
  • Every school will receive face shields for all licensed teachers and 50% of non-licensed staff. 
• Face shields may be used as an alternative to face coverings in the following situations: 
  • For students who are unable to tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, behavioral, or medical condition. 
  • For teachers of all grades when a face covering would impede the educational process. 
  • For staff providing direct support student services when a face covering would interfere with the services provided. 
  • For students in kindergarten through grade 8 when wearing a face covering is otherwise problematic for the student. 
  • When wearing only a face shield for allowed activities, staff must maintain 12 feet of distance between themselves and students. 
  • When leaving the instructional space, a cloth face covering must be worn. 
  • When providing direct close contact support services for a student who cannot wear a face covering for allowed exemption, staff must wear a cloth face covering and any other required PPE. 

Face covering exemptions

• Face coverings may be temporarily removed when engaging in indoor physical activity (e.g., during recess, after school sports, or when exercising in a gym) where the level of exertion makes wearing a face covering difficult, and during classes or activities held outdoors. People participating in these activities should maintain 6 feet of distance while doing so to the extent feasible.
• Pre-kindergarten students age 5 years and younger may temporarily remove their face covering while participating in programming in a school building or district office. Pre-kindergarten children who are at least 2 years old may wear face coverings if they can do so in compliance with CDC guidance. 
• Face coverings may be temporarily removed to eat or drink, but care should be taken to maintain as much space as possible between people, recognizing it is not always feasible to maintain 6 feet of distance from others. 
• During indoor practices or performances involving singing, acting, or playing musical instruments where face coverings cannot be worn or are impractical to wear while playing the instrument or participating in the activity. Because these activities often generate aerosols, performers should ideally maintain 12 feet or greater of physical distance from others while participating in the activity to the extent possible, and should replace their face covering as soon as the activity is completed. Depending on the activity, face shields should also be considered as an alternative if 12 feet of social distancing cannot be consistently maintained. 
• While teachers and students may temporarily remove their face coverings when public speaking (for example, in a debate or speech team competition or in an assembly), lecturing, or engaging in classroom instruction, face coverings should only be removed in such situations when 12 feet of distance from others can be consistently maintained. 
• If a face covering would impede these activities but 12 feet of social distancing cannot be consistently maintained (for example, due to classroom size), a face shield should be considered as an alternative. 
• Face coverings may be temporarily removed when communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing or has a disability, medical condition, or mental health condition that makes communication with a face covering difficult, provided that social distancing is maintained to the extent possible.
• Staff working in communal spaces (e.g., at desks or in cubicles) that have barriers such as plexiglass or cubicle walls between employees that are above face level may remove their masks temporarily. 
• Staff working alone in their offices, classrooms, vehicles, or other job locations who do not have any person-to-person interaction may remove their masks temporarily. 
• Face coverings should not be placed on anyone under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the face covering without assistance, or anyone who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical, or behavioral health condition. 

Face Covering Resources

• MN Face Covering Executive Order

• Masks and Face Coverings

• Face Covering Requirements Under Executive Order

• FAQ's About Face Covering Requirements

• How to Safely Wear a Face Covering

• How Masks Slow the Spread of COVID-19

• Mask Considerations for People with Disabilities and Special Health Needs

• COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment: Doffing Step by Step

• Face Covering Exemption Form

Exposure Incident

In cases of accidental exposure to respiratory secretions, blood, or body fluids, the staff member will immediately wash exposed skin with soap and water at the nearest sink designated for handwashing. If the exposure occurs in the eyes, the person exposed should rinse their eyes for at least 10 minutes. 

• Wash hands and any other skin with soap and water or flush mucous membranes with water as soon as feasible after contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. 
• When provision of handwashing facilities is not available, hand antiseptics or antiseptic towelettes shall be used. When hand sanitizer or sanitizing towelettes are used, hands shall be washed with soap and running water as soon as feasible. 
• Handwashing for Employees
• Post-Exposure Incident Packet

In cases of accidental exposure to respiratory secretions, blood, or body fluids, the Exposure Control Officer shall be contacted. The Exposure Control Officer will review and understand the circumstances related to each accidental exposure to inform any needed revisions in the delivery of the service or changes in the type of PPE. 

Designated contacts in cases of exposure: 

• Phoebe Anderson, RPS Exposure Control Officer

• Dan Holcomb, IEA Health & Safety Consultant, RPS

Should a student or staff member develop COVID-19, a contact investigation would be completed by MDH to determine which individuals were in close contact with the positive case during their infectious period, at which time additional instruction would be provided regarding quarantine and testing.

School staff will need to be in close contact with students when they provide certain services within the school setting, including: evaluation for service eligibility; screening for developmental or other health conditions; personal care services; and specialized instruction and related services for students with special health care needs or disabilities. Personal protective equipment must be used to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the provision of these and other services that require close, physical and prolonged contact.

• Additional PPE will be provided to student support services staff based on MDH Guidance.
  • PPE Chart for Student Support Services staff
• Guidance for Delivering Student Support Services

The CDC considers the following people to be at high risk for severe illness due to COVID-19: 

• Older adults 
• Children who are medically complex, who have neurologic, genetic, metabolic conditions, or who have congenital heart disease 
• Have underlying medical conditions, including: 
  • Chronic lung disease (COPD) 
  • Serious heart conditions 
  • Compromised immune system 
  • Diabetes 
  • Chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis 
  • Obesity (body mass index of 30 or higher for adults or a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile in children) 
  • Sickle cell disease 
• Current data regarding the impact of underlying medical conditions and whether they increase the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is limited and may change as the science evolves.

Handwashing, sanitizing:

• Staff and students will wash their hands or use hand sanitizer upon arrival to work/school.
• Hand-washing will be taught and reviewed (Hand-washing video link). This method 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.

Bathrooms, drinking fountains, and sinks:

• Students are encouraged to use the bathroom before they come to school.
• Students are allowed to go to the bathroom as needed. There will not be restroom breaks in the class schedule.
• Maximum of 1-2 students in a bathroom at a time (based on bathroom size).
• Bathrooms and water bottle fountains will be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day.
• Students are encouraged to bring a full water bottle daily. Only water bottle fountains will be used, no drinks from the drinking fountain.

• Facility Cleaning Methods and Considerations
• Cleaning Considerations

Richfield Public Schools has prepared in-depth cleaning practices to prevent the exposure of COVID-19. Key elements include:

• Teachers and students will utilize a mild soap and water mixture to assist with cleaning student desks and countertops.
• Custodial employees will utilize Bioesque Botanical Disinfectant Solution, which is an approved disinfectant on EPA List N.
• Product dwell times can be up to 10 minutes.
• The Safety Data Sheet (SDS) states that required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes chemical resistant gloves, safety goggles, and where engineering controls do not maintain airborne concentrations below recommended exposure limits, respiratory protection.
• The SDS is available to staff on the Facilities and Safety webpage on the Richfield Public Schools website.
• The containers are pre-labeled with GHS compliant labels.
• Staff have received training on good cleaning practices and Employee Right-to-Know. Records are in the District office.

When technology items are needing to be cleaned, alcohol wipes will be utilized to prevent damage to the equipment.

Door hangers will be present on each door to note whether rooms were used/dirty or not used/clean. Custodial staff will change the door hangers to “clean” once the room has been cleaned for the day.

Routine Cleaning

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend routine cleaning and disinfection occur to assist in prevention of the virus spread. The District accomplishes this through routine cleaning of high touch points as listed below, per CDC guidelines.

Internal custodial staff who complete routine cleaning follow these recommendations:

1. Wear chemical-resistant gloves.
2. If the surface is visibly dirty, clean using soap & water.
3. Disinfect surfaces using disinfectant provided pump sprayer, paper towels and or disposable scrub pads as needed. The product needs to remain wet on the surface for the designated amount of time.
4. Use a garbage bag for your waste. When full, place garbage in the dumpster.
5. Remove gloves, then wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.

Lunch Clean Up

Students will be eating lunch in the classroom. 

1. Students will empty their food waste in the large barrels located in the hallway, outside of the classroom.
2. Teachers will assist by spraying the desks and counters with the provided mild soap and water solution. 
3. Students will assist by wiping their desk, table or counter by using a provided paper towel. 

Cleaning with Suspected or Confirmed Case of COVID-19

MDH and CDC recommend additional cleaning measures take place should there be a known or suspected COVID-19 case within the building. Cleaning occurs in all locations where that person was present. The CDC recommends proceeding with regular cleaning if you receive this information seven days or more since the person has been in the building.

Custodial staff complete the cleaning sequence below if there is a suspected or confirmed case:

1. Vacate the area. Leave windows open for circulation, if feasible.
2. Allow the space to ventilate for at least 24 hours or more, if feasible, before cleaning.
3. Wear chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection and clothing coverings.
4. If the surface is visibly dirty, clean using soap and water.
5. Disinfect surfaces using disinfectant provided and paper towels and/or disposable scrub pads. The product needs to remain wet on the surface for the designated amount of time.
6. Use a garbage bag for your waste. When full, place garbage in the dumpster.
7. Remove gloves and then wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Clothing coverings should be removed immediately after cleaning/disinfecting and placed in an airtight plastic bag; these items can be laundered later.

Special Cleaning Considerations:

Toys

During this time, toys in classrooms that cannot be cleaned and sanitized will not be used. After toys are used, they are placed in a separate bin and cleaned by classroom staff. Toys will be disinfected in the following ways:

• Clean with water and detergent, rinse, sanitize with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant, rinse again, and air-dry.
• Clean in the dishwasher, sanitize with an -registered disinfectant, rinse again, and air dry.
• Clean in the dishwasher using an EPA-registered disinfectant in the dishwasher.

Porous Surfaces

During this time, unnecessary rugs and other porous objects should be removed from classrooms. Other porous surfaces may include chairs, furniture, rugs, linens, clothing, etc. If porous surfaces do need to be cleaned, the following steps will be followed:

• Handle laundry wearing gloves
• Transport laundry in disposable garbage bags when possible OR clean and disinfect the method of transportation
• Do not shake laundry out
• Wash on hottest water setting with regular detergent 
• Dry thoroughly

Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

• All classrooms have fresh air exchange ventilation systems
• A typical classroom exchange rate, based on supply air delivered to the room, averages 6-8 air exchanges per hour.
• Air filters will be changed every 1-3 months

Transportation

Vehicles and buses used to transport staff and students need to be cleaned after every trip. The district’s cleaning method will be used. Bus drivers will receive training on proper cleaning practices and will be provided with cleaning supplies and PPE.

Custodian Classroom Cleaning Procedures

• Assist teachers and staff for student arrival:
  • Provide cleaning supplies as needed.
  • Clean high touch areas throughout the day:
    • Door handles, counters, restroom surfaces.
• Breakfast:
  • Assist teachers and staff as needed.
  • Monitor trash containers in the hallways and empty as needed.
  • Consolidate waste and empty hallway waste containers after breakfast.
  • Sweep and mop hallways near waste containers as needed.
  • Return waste containers to hallways.
  • Clean high touch areas .
• Lunch:
  • Assist teachers and staff as needed.
  • Monitor trash containers in the hallways and empty as needed.
  • Consolidate waste and empty hallway waste containers after lunch.
  • Sweep and mop hallways near waste reciprocals as needed.
  • Return waste containers to hallways.
  • Clean high touch areas .
• End of day arrival to the classroom: 
  • Use appropriate PPE.
  • Check glass and spot clean as needed.
  • Pick up and discard large items from floor.
  • Vacuum or sweep flooring.
  • Mop or spot mop flooring as needed.
  • Place chairs from the desks to the floor.
• Classroom disinfection:
  • Use air sprayer, pump sprayer or electrostatic sprayer with Bioesque Botanical Disinfectant Solution to disinfect desks, tables, chairs, door handles and countertops.

Teacher Classroom Cleaning Procedures 

• Arrival to your classroom 
  • Check your supplies
    • Soap and water solution in trigger sprayer
    • Adequate supply of paper towels
  • Contact custodian for additional supplies
• Breakfast
  • After breakfast, students to bring their waste to the large waste receptacles in the hallway 
  • Teacher to spray desks and surfaces with with soap and water solution
  • Students will wipe down their desk and other surfaces when they arrive back at their desk
  • Place paper towel in the trash bin
• Lunch
  • After lunch, students will bring their waste to the large waste receptacles in the hallway
  • Teacher to spray desks and surfaces with soap and water solution
  • Students will wipe down their desks and other surfaces when they arrive back to their desks
  • Place paper towel in the trash bin
• Departure 
  • Teacher to spray desks and surfaces with soap and water solution
  • Students will wipe down their desks, chairs and other high contact surfaces with provided paper towel
  • Students will help pickup large items from the floor and put in the trash
  • Student will empty classroom trash and/or recycling bin into the large barrels in the hallway
  • Students to assist by placing their chairs upside down on their desk or table where possible
  • Teacher will clean desk top before departure
  • Use provided hand sanitizer and depart

Daily Cleaning Procedures

• Log all cleaning activities on provided log sheet
• General Classroom Cleaning (Anytime)
  • Trigger spray provided per classroom with mild soap and water
  • Teacher to spray each desk and counter
  • Student to wipe down their own desk with provided paper towel
• End of Day Procedures
  • Teacher and students to clean each desk, chair, counter and high touch areas
  • Where possible place chairs upside down on desks or tables
  • Pick up large items from the floor
  • Empty classroom waste baskets in large waste container in hallway
  • Custodian will disinfect surfaces, vacuum floors and empty hallway receptacles

COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting Guide

EPA List of Disinfectants 

Regular screening for symptoms and ongoing self-monitoring throughout the school day can help to quickly identify signs of illness and help reduce exposure. Staff and students are encouraged to self-monitor symptoms throughout the day. Staff or students who develop symptoms during the school day must notify school health services or another identified point of contact in the school building immediately. CDC does not currently recommend universal testing to inform admitting students or staff into school. Viral testing only determines infection at the point in time the test occurs, and may miss cases in the early stages of infection. It is not known whether previous infection and recovery from COVID-19 illness protects people from reinfection.

MDH Decision Tree

Health Screens — CDC Guidance

Richfield Public Schools will implement passive health screening. Passive health screening is one CDC option for youth health screens on arrival at school. This screen affords opportunities toward distancing, consistency, and sustainability, allowing students and staff to efficiently and safely engage in entering school spaces. Visual and verbal screens will occur initially and ongoing in classes by the adult(s) responsible for students. Those who appear and/or report being ill will be isolated to the designated area at the site for further assessment and exclusion, if necessary, according to MN Department of Health, Hennepin County Epidemiology, and Richfield Public Schools guidelines.

Student Home Screening — Before students leave home

• Parents/guardians are asked to take their child’s temperature before coming to school and confirm that the child does not have ONE more common symptom:  fever of 100.4 degrees or higher; new cough or a cough that gets worse; difficulty/hard time 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 the individual for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with a person with confirmed COVID-19. 
• Note that any of these less common COVID-19 symptoms alone or in combination may be indicative of COVID-19 or another illness.
  • Sore throat 
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
  • Chills 
  • Muscle pain
  • Extreme fatigue/feeling very tired
  • New severe/very bad headache
  • New nasal congestion/stuffy or very 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), fatigue. If these or any other illness symptoms are present, do not send your child to school.
• Parents/guardians will inform the school of the reason the student is staying home if scheduled to come onsite or is ill at home if on distance learning on the day that the absence occurs by calling the school attendance line.

Attendance Clerk(s) will:

• Include in absence messaging a request for specific symptoms or health care provider diagnosis from parents/guardians who call their child in to school as ill and absent.
• Alert Health Service staff of parents/guardians reporting diagnosed COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms

COVID-19 Testing Locations 

Covid-19 Testing Video 

Health Service Space Protocols

Health Service Office 

• School staff reporting the need for an individual to be seen in Health Service for a non-routine visit shall contact Health Service staff via phone, walkie, and/or email to alert that a visit is requested. Routine activities are those that can be anticipated, such as daily medication administration, chronic health condition-related procedures, episodic administration of as-needed medication, injuries that require more than what can be resolved in the classroom with, for example, a bandage.
• Exceptions are any situation that appears to be life-threatening, at which time a sending staff member is urged to consider first calling 911 and then Health Service staff.
• Health Service staff may, depending on the request/report, will::
  • Make a decision if a visit to the classroom/pod/location is a viable option, or
  • Arrange for the individual to come to the Health Service space indicated for the needed service. or
  • Recommend a safe and healthy alternative toward resolution

Isolation Space

• The isolation space will be monitored by a staff member when a student is in the space. Ensure that symptomatic students who are waiting to be picked up remain under the visual supervision of a staff member who is at least 6 feet away. 

• Both the symptomatic student and the supervising adults should wear a cloth face covering or a surgical mask. 

• The space will be equipped with hygiene supplies, including a cloth face covering / face shield, facial tissues, and alcohol-based hand rub.

• The space will be disinfected by custodial staff between users.

• The space will be chosen with enough space to allow for separation of individuals at least six feet apart. 

For additional Information: Health Service Spaces

Staff Absences for COVID-19 Illness:

• Employee Guide
• How to Apply for a COVID-19 Leave of Absence
• Request for Leave of Absence Due to COVID-19
• Request for Accommodation Due to COVID-19 
• COVID-19 Administrator Guide for Managing Employees 
• Paid Leave Chart for Full-Time
• Paid Leave Chart for Part-Time
• FFCRA Employee Notice Post

• MDH Decision Tree
• Student COVID-19 Reports
  • Simple COVID-19 Reporting
  • Simple Scenario Statements
• RPS will follow-up any exposures that occur within the context of a school-related activity. This would include in-building exposures and out-of-building exposures that occur during a school-sponsored activity across school-related settings.

Reduced use of water and ventilation systems can pose health hazards when reopening a building after it has been closed for a long period of time. Stagnant or standing water in pipes poses an increased risk for Legionella species and other bacteria.

MDH Recommendations: Scenario 1 and 2 

• Take steps to ensure that all water systems and features (e.g., sink faucets, drinking fountains) are safe to use after a prolonged facility shutdown, following CDC’s Guidance for Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/buildingwater-system.html). 
• Clean and sanitize drinking fountains, and encourage staff and students to bring their own water, use cups, or other alternative procedures to minimize use and touching of water fountains. 
• Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible, for example by opening windows and doors. Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk (e.g., risk of falling, triggering asthma symptoms, etc.) to students and staff using the facility. 
• Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk to staff or attendees (e.g., risk of falling or triggering asthma symptoms). 
• If portable ventilation equipment like fans are used, take steps to minimize air from them blowing from one person directly at another person to reduce the potential spread of any airborne or aerosolized viruses.

• Safe transportation is at the forefront of the districts planning for a safe return to school. 
• In the event that a student who boards the bus/is on the bus shows signs of illness, the student will be isolated as much as possible and released to the site isolation space upon arrival at school.
• For students who arrive at the bus stop without a mask, the driver will provide one.
• Students will be assigned one student per seat on the bus. We will load from back to front, with an average of 22 students per bus.
• Students who become ill during the day will not use group transportation vehicles to return home.

Arrival to school

• When buses arrive at the school:
  • Consider different doors for entry and exit.
  • Students go directly to the classroom.
  • 6 foot separation of students coming off the bus and in hallways.
  • Consider hand sanitizer/washing upon entry to the building.
  • Staff assist with holding the doors to avoid door handle contact.
• Early arriving walkers — Ensure social distancing
  • No students congregating outside or in foyers.
  • Consider supervision and communication needs .
• Custodians will assist with sanitizing the buses with electrostatic sprayers after each morning drop off.

Departure from school

• Students to assist with end of day cleaning (see cleaning procedures).
  • Consider cleaning between hours by student/staff (Middle School/High School).
• Students and teacher to use hand sanitizer upon exiting classroom.
• Consider how lockers are used.
• Limit 1 student per seat on the bus.
• Staff to assist holding open doors.
• Buses depart from same door as arrival.

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
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for Staff and Their Families Spanish
  • Minnesota Health Helpline
  • Hennepin Mental Health Crisis Line
• For Families:
  • Daily Life & Coping: COVID-19 - Minnesota Dept. of Health
  • Daily Activities and Going Out | COVID-19
  • Fall 2020 Re-Entry Immunization Compliance
  • Immunization Information for Families