Author Archives: Stan Jester

Below is a summary of the considerations the CDC offers as school districts open K-12 schools.

I would like to draw your attention to the spacing recommendations for classrooms and buses. These are going to be particularly burdensome for students and teachers in District 1 given the persistent overcrowding in this area. The arithmetic of students, bus seats, and square footage make it difficult to balance the equation. If these recommendations are implemented with fidelity, school will necessarily look very different in the fall. Shifts, virtual school, cohort groupings, mixed-models – all will have to be considered while we are living in a time of transmission mitigation.

Once again, we see the real disadvantages and consequences of overcrowding. No new high school has been built north of Hwy 78 since 1975 despite the significant growth. No cluster realignments have happened to better use facilities throughout the district and alleviate overcrowding.

As I warned, the empty promises for improved facilities made by the previous administration in SPLOST V have never materialized. All of this only compounds the unusual situation we find ourselves in today. Students at our most overcrowded schools will be more burdened than ever before.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Considerations for Schools
• Guidance for Schools & Child Care
• School Decision Tool
• Considerations for Youth Sports

The CDC believes COVID-19 is mostly spread by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough, or sneeze. It is thought that the virus may spread to hands from a contaminated surface and then to the nose or mouth, causing infection. Therefore, personal prevention practices (such as handwashing, staying home when sick) and environmental cleaning and disinfection are important. Furthermore, there are a number of actions the CDC recommends school administrators can take to help lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure and spread during school sessions and activities.

• Stay Home when Appropriate
• Stay at home if you have tested positive or are showing symptoms of COVID-19
• Stay at home if you recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19

How to discontinue home isolation
People with COVID-19 who have stayed home (home isolated) can leave home under the following conditions:

If you have not had a test to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:

1. You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
   AND
2. other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
   AND
3. at least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared

If you have had a test to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:

1. You no longer have a fever (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
   AND
2. other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
   AND
3. you received two negative tests in a row, at least 24 hours apart.

Hygiene Etiquette

• Wash your hands with soap and water
• Hand sanitizers are acceptable if soap and water is not available
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue

Cloth Face Coverings

Face coverings should be worn by staff and students (particularly older students) as feasible, and are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult. Individuals should be frequently reminded not to touch the face covering and to wash their hands frequently.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
• Clean and disinfect school buses or other transport vehicles
• Discourage sharing of items that are difficult to clean
• Ensure adequate supplies

Modified Layouts

• Space seating/desks at least 6 feet apart when feasible.
• Turn desks to face in the same direction (rather than facing each other), or have students sit on only one side of tables, spaced apart.
• Create distance between children on school buses (g., seat children one child per row, skip rows) when possible.

Physical Barriers and Guides

Install physical barriers, such as sneeze guards and partitions, particularly in areas where it is difficult for individuals to remain at least 6 feet apart (e.g., reception desks).

Provide physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signs on walls, to ensure that staff and children remain at least 6 feet apart in lines and at other times (e.g. guides for creating “one way routes” in hallways).

Communal Spaces

Close communal use shared spaces such as dining halls and playgrounds with shared playground equipment if possible; otherwise, stagger use and clean and disinfect between use.

Add physical barriers, such as plastic flexible screens, between bathroom sinks especially when they cannot be at least 6 feet apart.

Food Service

Have children bring their own meals as feasible, or serve individually plated meals in classrooms instead of in a communal dining hall or cafeteria

Use disposable food service items (e.g., utensils, dishes).

If food is offered at any event, have pre-packaged boxes or bags for each attendee instead of a buffet or family-style meal.

Schools may consider implementing several strategies to maintain healthy operations.

Staff and Children at Higher Risk for Severe Illness from COVID-19

Offer options for staff at higher risk for severe illness (including older adults and people of all ages with certain underlying medical conditions) that limit their exposure risk (e.g., telework, modified job responsibilities that limit exposure risk).

Offer options for students at higher risk of severe illness that limit their exposure risk (e.g., virtual learning opportunities).

Gatherings, Visitors, and Field Trips

Pursue virtual group events, gatherings, or meetings, if possible, and promote social distancing of at least 6 feet between people if events are held. Limit group size to the extent possible.

Limit any nonessential visitors, volunteers, and activities involving external groups or organizations as possible – especially with individuals who are not from the local community

Pursue virtual activities and events in lieu of field trips, student assemblies, special performances, school-wide parent meetings, and spirit nights, as possible.

Pursue options to convene sporting events and participation in sports activities in ways that minimizes the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to players, families, coaches, and communities.

Identifying Small Groups and Keeping Them Together (Cohorting)

Ensure that student and staff groupings are as static as possible by having the same group of children stay with the same staff (all day for young children, and as much as possible for older children).

Limit mixing between groups if possible.

Staggered Scheduling

Stagger arrival and drop-off times or locations by cohort or put in place other protocols to limit contact between cohorts and direct contact with parents as much as possible.

When possible, use flexible worksites (e.g., telework) and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts) to help establish policies and practices for social distancing (maintaining distance of approximately 6 feet) between employees and others, especially if social distancing is recommended by state and local health authorities.

Support Coping and Resilience

Encourage employees and students to take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories about COVID-19, including social media if they are feeling overwhelmed or distressed.