COVID-19 Draft Safety & Facilities Manual

COVID-19 Draft Safety & Facilities Manual
Posted on 07/06/2020

For the Latest Draft (7/20/20): Click here >>

Reopening school for 2020-21 will require major changes to facilities, building operations, and a host of health and safety procedures. In anticipation of these changes, our facilities, transportation, food & nutrition services, and other operational departments are already taking steps based on existing recommendations from federal, state, and local experts.

The following draft plan is being reviewed by both a Safety & Facilities Working Group and the School Committee Building and Grounds Subcommittee before passage onto the full School Committee for final approval.

The health situation will continue to evolve, and we are prepared to adapt to changing conditions and new guidance and insights. As has been the case throughout this pandemic, changes to facilities and procedures will follow basic core tenets of COVID-19 prevention: 

  1. Keeping sick people home
  2. Ensuring social distancing
  3. Hygiene, sanitization, and environmental health
  4. Swift and thorough response in case of confirmed exposure
  5. Education, information & training on reducing risks and staying safe

More Information Expected from the State
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has announced plans to provide more definitive guidance on the following areas over the coming weeks and months:

  • Fall reopening checklist, including operations, teaching and learning, student supports, training, and communications needs.
  • Athletics, extracurriculars, and electives.
  • Transportation, including bus scheduling options, addressing bus capacity, alternative modes of transportation, and operational considerations.
  • Process for handling a COVID-19 positive case in the school community, including when a school or classroom would need to shut down.
  • Remote learning resources.
  • Facilities and operations, including entry and exit procedures, cleaning and ventilation, procurement, food distribution, and signage.
  • Guidance for special programs and student supports, including special education, English learner education, and other programs and supports.
  • Key policies, including academic calendar considerations.

References for Further Reading
The manual linked above reflects guidance documented in the following sources:

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