Kirbyville CISD 

            Return To In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan 2022-2023 

Revised: August 1, 2022

The conditions surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic are continually evolving and Kirbyville CISD’s Safety Protocol Handbook will be constantly evaluated to adapt to the continuing trends of the COVID-19 virus, especially in Jasper County.

Kirbyville CISD will follow recommendations for school opening and operations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Texas Education Agency, as well as state and local health officials. Circumstances related to COVID-19 may change throughout the coming school year and this document will be updated as conditions change.

Kirbyville CISD will abide by all current Texas Governor Orders. It is KCISD’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 KCISD’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.

The safety and well-being of all staff and visitors are priorities for Kirbyville CISD. Various changes in the way the workplace looks, as well as new practices and protocols, have been implemented to follow recommended safety guidelines. The goal is to collaboratively ensure that all students, employees, and visitors in district facilities feel safe and secure. The cooperation of all staff in maintaining a safe environment as the district and the community continue to fight the spread of COVID-19 is appreciated.

As always, Kirbyville CISD staff will continue to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with creativity and perseverance, embodying the commitment of educating all students for success—no matter the circumstances.

This handbook is the Kirbyville CISD’s guidance on safety protocols in the workplace.

It outlines the current best practices provided by federal, state, and local health officials for removing or preventing COVID-19 in the work environment. In addition, the district will work closely with the Texas Education Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students within the allowable guidelines.

The district will update this guidance as additional information becomes available. This plan will be reviewed regularly for effectiveness and revised as needed to meet the needs of our students, staff, and stakeholders.

Table of Contents

Health And Safety Measures 

Infection Control Measures

 Health Screenings 

Campus Operations

Learning Environments 

Breakfast / Lunch 

Transportation 

Visitors 

Staff: COVID-19

Students: COVID-19

Notification

Clinic Procedures Related to COVID-19 

Definition of COVID-19 Symptoms

Academics and Additional Services

Communication Tools and Channels

Health and Safety Measures

Infection Control Measures

● Water fountains will be available for filling of water containers only.

● Staff will work to try to maintain social distancing at restrooms where possible.  

● Students and staff are encouraged, but not required, to wear face coverings. PPE will be available as needed to staff and students.

● Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom, entrances, and throughout common spaces.

● Staff will be expected to regularly wash or sanitize hands.

● 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. All secondary students will be encouraged to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer regularly.

Health Screenings

● Staff will self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming onto campus each day.

● Parents/guardians are expected to screen their students for COVID-19 symptoms each day prior to

      sending their students to school.

● Visitors are required to complete health screening to determine if they have any COVID-19 symptoms or have come into close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19 upon entry into the building.

● Teachers will monitor students and refer to the nurse if symptoms are present.

Campus Operations

● Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom, entrances, and throughout common spaces.

● Campuses will open multiple entrance/exit points during arrival/dismissal to promote social distancing.

● Campuses will review options to reduce large group gatherings at the start and end of the day as well as  

      other events.

● Visual aids will be used to illustrate appropriate spacing and traffic flow throughout the building.

● Restrooms will continue to be disinfected daily. 

● Classrooms will have surfaces disinfected daily and between classes. 

● Plexiglass has been installed in high-traffic public areas (reception desks, cafeteria cashiers, etc.). 

● Campuses will develop schedules and protocols for the use of common areas (labs, flexible spaces, libraries, conference rooms, etc.), including how to sanitize between uses. Hand sanitizer will be available in all common areas. 

● Procedures and protocols will be put into place to address locker rooms. Protocols will be in place for disinfecting equipment, students changing clothes, etc.

Learning Environments

● Desks and tables will be arranged to maximize space between students.

● The number of students participating in small group instruction at one time will be limited. 

● Staff will have access to disinfectant to sanitize high-touch and working surfaces and shared objects     

     regularly.

● Staff will limit the use of shared supplies where possible. 

● All students (K-12) will be issued an individual device to reduce sharing of devices. 

Breakfast / Lunch

● Cafeteria staff will follow all health & safety protocols.

● Students will be encouraged not to share food or drink.

● Lunch tables will be spread out across cafeterias to maximize space between groups.

● Plexiglass shields will be used at cashier counters and serving counters.

● All tables will be sanitized between lunches.

Transportation 

● Ridership will remain at typical district capacity.

● Parents will be encouraged to transport their children to school daily as it is the safest means of transportation due to COVID-19.

● All buses will have hand sanitizer dispensers placed in the stairwells for use when loading/unloading.

● All buses will be sanitized and wiped down twice daily.

● Bus windows will be partially open (at minimum) during routes to provide for additional ventilation when appropriate.

Visitors

● Visitors will be restricted for those essential to school operations. We highly discourage non-emergency drop-offs(i.e. snacks, lunch, instruments, etc.). Parents will not be allowed to eat lunch at the school until further notice. 

● Social distancing is encouraged for all meetings that are not able to be virtual. 

● Any visitor who needs to go beyond the front office will be subject to a health screening.

● Visitors are required to complete health screening to determine if they have any COVID-19 

     symptoms or have come into close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with

     COVID-19 upon entry into the building.

• Any visitor who has COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms or has come into close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19 will be encouraged to remain off campus until the 14-day incubation period has passed.

STAFF: COVID-19

Staff Who Have COVID-19

• Specific scenarios not listed below will be addressed by the district nurse and a decision will be made based on the current Guidelines.
• If a staff member has displayed symptoms of COVID-19, the school nurse will provide a clinical assessment to determine if and when a student/staff needs to be sent home.

• Any individuals who are test-confirmed to have COVID-19; must stay at home throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met:

• In the case of an individual who was 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 without fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications);
• the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and
• If symptomatic, at least 5 days have passed since onset of symptoms

 If you are able to return to campus after the five day quarantine period, you will need to wear a mask for the next five days.

• In the case of the individual that is asymptomatic but has received a positive COVID-19 test result, the individual may not return to the campus until five days have passed since a positive test. Again, you will need to wear a mask for the next five days, when returning to campus.
• In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is being assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above.
• If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either (a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis, though for health privacy reasons the note does not need to indicate what the alternative diagnosis is, or (b) obtain an acute infection test (at a physician’s office, approved testing location, or other site) that comes back negative for COVID-19.
• If the individual has tested positive for COVID-19 and believes the test was a false positive, and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must obtain two PCR acute infection tests (at a physician’s office, approved testing location, or other site) at least 24 hours apart that come back negative for COVID-19.

 To help mitigate the risk of asymptomatic individuals being on campuses, school systems may provide and/or conduct recurring COVID-19 testing using rapid tests provided by the state or other sources.

Staff Who Are Close Contact

• Staff who are considered a close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 are in one of the following groups, do not need to stay home.

• Age 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters
• Was confirmed COVID-19 positive within the last 90 days and has fully recovered.

Staff who are considered close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual who are not in one of the above groups will need to test on the first day of known exposure, and again on the 5th day after exposure. If symptoms become present during the observation period, we ask that you contact the nurse to schedule a test immediately.    

Fully Vaccinated Staff     

• For the purposes of this guidance, people are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen ).
• Fully vaccinated people with COVID-19 symptoms:

• Although the risk that fully vaccinated people could become infected with COVID-19 is low, any fully vaccinated person who experiences symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should isolate themselves from others, be evaluated for COVID-19, and tested if indicated.
• The symptomatic fully vaccinated person should inform their healthcare provider of their vaccination status at the time of presentation to care.

• Fully vaccinated people with no COVID-like symptoms following an exposure:

• Fully vaccinated people with no COVID-like symptoms do not need to be quarantined following an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, but testing on the first day of known exposure and fifth day following is recommended.
• Fully vaccinated people who do not quarantine should continue to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for at least 14 days following an exposure. If they experience symptoms, they should isolate themselves from others, be evaluated for COVID-19, and tested if indicated.

For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:

• Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated
• Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Follow guidance issued by individual employers
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations         

STUDENTS: COVID-19

Students Who Have COVID-19

• As provided in this Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Rule, school systems must exclude students from attending school in person who are actively sick with COVID-19, who are suspected of being actively sick with COVID-19, or who have received a positive test result for COVID-19, and must immediately notify parents if this is determined while on campus.
•  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 was 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 without fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications);
• the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and
• at least 10 days have passed since a positive test

• During the exclusion period, the school system may deliver remote instruction consistent with the practice of remote conferencing outlined in the proposed Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH) rules.
•  To help mitigate the risk of asymptomatic individuals being on campuses, school systems may provide and/or conduct recurring COVID-19 testing using rapid tests provided by the state or other sources. With prior written permission of parents, testing can be conducted with students.

Students Who Are Close Contact

• Students who come into close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 may self-quarantine for:

• 10 days from last contact and may return to school without testing if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.
• 7 days from last contact and may return if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring.

• The specimen may be collected and tested within 48 hours before the time of planned quarantine discontinuation (e.g., in anticipation of testing delays), but quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than after Day 7 (return to campus on day 8).

• Students who are considered a household close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 will be advised to self-quarantine for:

• 10 days from last contact and may return to school without testing if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.
• 7 days from last contact and may return if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring.

• The specimen may be collected and tested within 48 hours before the time of planned quarantine discontinuation (e.g., in anticipation of testing delays), but quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than after Day 7 (return to campus on day 8).

• Students that are close contacts should contact the school for meeting the Return to School Criteria after the 7 or 10 day self-quarantine period ends.

For clarity, closed contact is defined as:

• (a) being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on; or
• (b) being within 6 feet for a total of approximately 15 minutes throughout the course of the day; however, additional factors like case/contact masking (i.e., both the infectious individual and the potential close contact have been consistently and properly masked), ventilation, presence of dividers, and case symptomatology may affect this determination.

For clarity, household contact is defined as:

• Living in the same household or residence with the individual  who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Notification

• KCISD will sanitize all areas that had exposure from someone who tested positive.
• Any student requiring quarantine will transition to Remote Learning for the period of self-isolation.
• Required Actions if Individuals with Test-Confirmed Cases Have Been in a School

• If an individual who has been in a school is test-confirmed to have COVID-19, the school must notify its local health department, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, including confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Upon receipt of information that any teacher, staff member, student, or visitor at a school is test-confirmed to have COVID-19, the school must submit a report to the Texas Department of State Health Services via an online form. The report must be submitted each Monday for the prior seven days (Monday-Sunday).
• Consistent with school notification requirements for other communicable diseases, and consistent with legal confidentiality requirements, schools must notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in a classroom or extracurricular or after-school program cohort if a test-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among students, teachers or staff who participated in those classrooms or cohorts.

Clinic Procedures Related to COVID-19

• Students or staff who present with symptoms will be evaluated and assessed by the school nurse.
• If COVID-19 symptoms are present: the staff member will be sent home, and the student will be isolated from other students and asked to put on a face covering until the parent arrives.
• Nurse will notify the campus administrator so that possible infected areas can be disinfected.
• Nurse will provide the parent/staff with Return to School Criteria.

Definition of COVID-19 Symptoms 

In evaluating whether an individual has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, individuals will be asked if they have recently begun experiencing any of the following in a way that is not normal for them: 

● Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit; 

● Loss of taste or smell 

● Cough 

● Difficulty breathing 

● Shortness of breath 

● Fatigue 

● Headache 

● Chills 

● Sore throat 

● Congestion or runny nose 

● Shaking or exaggerated shivering 

● Significant muscle pain or ache 

● Diarrhea 

● Nausea or vomiting.

Academics                                                                                                

• The district will continue to reassess remediation processes and programs to best meet the needs of our students.  
• Students will be assessed regularly using various programs to track their learning progress.  
• Students requiring remediation and support or requiring tutorials will have designated opportunities throughout the school day.  Teachers and students will have the opportunity to schedule other times for remediation and tutorials, including before and after school.  
• The district will continue to monitor all student progress, including state assessment results, to identify areas of student need.
•  Summer learning opportunities will be provided for students who are in need of credit recovery as well as remediation.

Additional Services 

• School counselors are available for all students and staff and assist with providing guidance counseling and mental health support.
•  All students in Kirbyville CISD will receive free breakfast and lunch for the 2021- 2022 school year.

Communication Tools and Channels 

● Parents will receive emails from Kirbyville CISD, sent through the School Messenger system. Email addresses will be collected from the Skyward Student Information System.

● Information about Back to School 2021 will be posted on the Kirbyville CISD website and will be updated as needed. The website will include:

● Health and safety protocols

● Campuses will share campus-specific information with parents via email and other campus communication tools.

● Regular updates will be posted on Kirbyville CISD’s social media channels (Facebook and Twitter).

Circumstances related to COVID-19 may change throughout the coming school year and we will keep all parents informed if conditions change.