Health & Safety Guidebook

Minimize Risk to Accelerate Learning in the Era of COVID-19

Community Health Context

When can students and staff return to campus?

WHY

Returning to in-person instruction successfully will depend on a series of factors, some of which LEAs are not able to control, such as the state of public health in each individual California county. As public health conditions continue to evolve and new scientific evidence becomes available, LEAs will continue to adapt their plans to resume in-person instruction. That notwithstanding, LEAs must liaise with County Health Officers, understand criteria for opening and closing schools, and be mindful of special circumstances that may prevent some students from returning to campus and may lead others to require additional support when on campus. Additionally, LEAs must create Site-Specific Protection Plans (SSPP) for each school to ensure that resuming in-person instruction is safe for both students and staff.

WHY

Establishing productive relationships with key partners with whom you will interact on an ongoing basis is key to ensuring the safety of your learning community. Especially as information is rapidly evolving and new information and guidance is coming out continuously as people learn more, having strong relationships with the people closest to the information will assure you can support your community in bringing students back on campus and keeping them safe. 


 

HOW

A good way to start your health and safety planning is to establish productive relationships with key partners with whom you will interact on an ongoing basis to ensure the safety of your learning community.  

 

  • County Health Officer: Consult with your county health officer or their designated staff, who are best positioned to monitor and provide advice on local conditions. A directory of county health officers can be found here
  • County Offices of Education: Coordinate with COEs for up-to-date local information and developments.
  • Child Care/After School Partners: Ensure you also include child care and/or after school partners in your planning, as it is likely you will need to tightly coordinate services and logistics to ensure the least amount of student exposure to COVID-19. 

 

RESOURCE

WHY

As your LEA prepares to resume in-person instruction, it is important to understand current guidance on the safe reopening of schools and districts—and factors that may call on LEAs to re-close them to safeguard your community’s health. 

 

HOW

Reopening for In-person Instruction:

  • Schools and school districts may reopen for in-person instruction at any time if they are located in a local health jurisdiction (LHJ) that has not been on the county monitoring list within the prior 14 days. 
  • If the LHJ has been on the monitoring list within the last 14 days, the school must conduct distance learning only until its LHJ has been off the monitoring list for at least 14 days. 

RESOURCES

WHY

While children are a major driver of transmission for the viruses that cause the flu and the common cold, science suggests that the same is not true for the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Children, especially younger children, do not get nearly as ill as adults, especially older people. According to the scientific understanding of how the virus spreads, young children spread a lower viral load and with less intensity. (This concept is explained in the video from above from Dr. Forman.) Because of this, a waiver is available for TK-6 that allows elementary schools to open for in-person instruction under specific conditions.

 

 

HOW

A waiver of the 14-day criterion may be granted by the local health officer, which allows elementary schools to open for in-person instruction under specific conditions. This elementary school waiver is applicable only for grades TK-6, even if the school includes additional grades. As of August 3, 2020, the process is as follows: 

 

The Waiver Application Process:

  • Applicant: A waiver may only be granted if one is requested by the district superintendent, private school principal/head of school, or executive director of a charter school. 
  • Form: The applicant must submit to the local health officer (LHO) a waiver application form that the LHO provides. 
  • Consultation: The application must include evidence of consultation with labor, parent, and community organizations, and the applicant must sign an attestation confirming the names of the organizations and dates when they were consulted. If school staff are not represented by a labor organization, then the applicant must describe the process by which it consulted with school staff.
  • Other Plan Contents: Plans must also address items described in CDPH’s Industry Guidance for Schools.
  • Publication of Plans: The applicant must confirm publication of the elementary school reopening plans on the website of the local educational agency (or equivalent).
  • Applying for A District: If applying on behalf of a school district, the applicant should submit a consolidated application and publish a plan for all elementary schools in the district that are seeking to reopen for in-person instruction. 
  • Applying for All Others: If applying for an independent, private, faith-based, or charter school, the applicant should submit an application and publish a plan for each school.
  • Timeline: Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted to the LHO at least 14 days prior to the desired reopening date. 

The Waiver Review Process: 

  • Case Threshold: CDPH recommends that a school should not be considered for a waiver to re-open in-person instruction if it is within a jurisdiction with more than 400 cases per 100,000 people (i.e., two times the threshold to be on the County Monitoring List).
  • Other Factors: Local health officers are directed to consider specific factors in addition to the application, including whether in-person instruction can be provided in small, stable cohorts and the availability of testing resources. 
  • Consultation with CDPH: Following review, the LHO will consult with CDPH regarding whether to grant or deny the waiver application. 
  • Conditional Approval: LHOs may conditionally grant an application with limits on the number of elementary schools allowed to re-open or allow re-opening in phases to monitor for any impact on the community.

RESOURCE 

WHY 

As LEAs resume in-person instruction, it is reasonable to assume that not all students and staff will return to the school site at once due to unique circumstances. Schools should be prepared to offer distance learning for any student who would be put at risk by an in-person instructional model. Additionally, you should plan for cases that may warrant special attention when returning to in-person instruction. 

WHO 

  • Students with Unique Circumstances Who Might Not Return to Campus: Students with a health condition, students with family members with a health condition, students who cohabitate or regularly interact with high-risk individuals, or are otherwise identified as “at-risk” by their parents or guardians, are students whose circumstances merit offering distance-learning in place of in-person learning. 
  • Staff with Unique Circumstances: LEAs will also need to navigate varying circumstances involving staff who have existing health conditions, are identified as “at-risk,” or who live with or regularly interact with individuals who are in one of those categories.
  • Cases That May Require Special Attention When on Campus: Schools will have to develop a plan to further support students with access and functional needs who may be at increased risk of becoming infected or having unrecognized illness due to COVID-19. Examples include: students with limited mobility or who require prolonged and close contact with others, such as direct support providers and family members; individuals who have trouble understanding information or practicing preventive measures (handwashing, physical distancing); and individuals who may not be able to communicate symptoms of illness. 

WHY

Under certain circumstances, schools and school districts may have to close in-person instruction again to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard your community’s health. Below are the criteria that will guide new school and district closures.

 

WHAT 

  • Schools Closing for In-person Instruction: While a school may be located within a district that has reopened, closure of an individual school within that district may be appropriate under one of these conditions:
    • Multiple Cases in Multiple Cohorts: There are multiple cases in multiple cohorts at a school.
    • 5% of Staff/Students Test Positive within 14 Days: At least 5 percent of the combined teachers, students, and staff test positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period, depending on the size and physical layout of the school. 
    • Local Health Officer Decision: The local health officer may determine school closure is warranted for other reasons, including results from a public health investigation or other local epidemiological data. 
  • Schools Reopening for In-person Instruction Again After Closure: Schools may typically reopen after 14 days have elapsed and the following have occurred: 
    • Cleaning and disinfection
    • Public health investigation
    • Consultation with the local public health department 
  • Districts Closing for In-person Instruction: A superintendent should close a school district if 25% or more of schools within it have closed due to COVID-19.
  • Districts Reopening for In-person Instruction Again After Closure: Districts may typically reopen after 14 days, in consultation with the local public health department. 

RESOURCE:

WHY 

To address some of the child care challenges in their communities, some districts have created emergency child care centers on their campuses.

HOW

The San Diego County Office of Education team has created guiding documents for districts creating emergency child care centers to use.

 

  • Decide Whether or Not to Move Forward:
    • The Emergency Child Care Toolkit will assist districts in exploring the various required components related to opening an emergency child care site. 
    • The SDCOE Child Care Process Map is a visual that demonstrates SDCOE’s action plan to support schools with emergency child care.  
  • Stay Informed: Learn more by reviewing these frequently updated FAQs.

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

WHY

As part of your planning process, LEAs are mandated to coordinate with key staff to establish a written COVID-19 School Site-Specific Protection Plan (SSPP) for each school in your jurisdiction to safeguard the health of your community

HOW

  • Each SSPP Should Highlight How the Site Will: 
    • Perform a comprehensive risk assessment of all areas and tasks
    • Designate a person at each school to implement the plan
    • Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19 and self-screen for symptoms that may necessitate them staying home
    • Implement control measures and screenings
    • Implement physical distancing guidelines
    • Implement disinfecting protocols 
  • Design Protocols: While much of the plan will need to be customized for individual school sites, as part of the planning process the LEA must determine which protocols must be the same for all school sites. 
  • Incorporate SSPPs into Your Comprehensive School Safety Plan: After your LEA creates a comprehensive SSPP for each school site, make sure SSPPs are incorporated into your existing Comprehensive School Safety Plan. 
  • Make Your Plans Accessible: You should also ensure the SSPP is readily accessible on your website and/or at your school or office at a visible location where students, staff, and visitors can view it (without the need to touch it). 
  • Continually Reassess and Improve: Your LEA should continually reassess and improve protocols by investigating any cases of COVID-19 and updating plans as needed with lessons learned or public health best practices. 

TOOLS

WHY

More than ever, LEAs will be called to communicate well with stakeholders. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and changes the way LEAs must operate, school systems need their leaders to communicate well and frequently so that stakeholders understand the reasons for the many decisions that will be made. The 2020-2021 school year will require difficult decisions and trade-offs. Providing clear, timely information to staff, families, and community stakeholders can ensure they remain partners throughout the school year.

HOW

  • Make students, staff, and families partners in decision-making: Students, staff and families have important feedback to share about their remote learning experiences in spring 2020 and their needs for the 2020-2021 school year. To be true partners, they need the opportunity to share that feedback, offer input on critical decisions, and learn how their feedback was used in making decisions.
  • Have Pre-written Letters Ready: To be nimbler in responding to changing circumstances, have letters that are ready to use that you can use in case of a sudden school closure, a local outbreak, or a return to in-person instruction. (See samples below.)

Staff

    • Communicate Plans and Protocols to Staff: Train and communicate with workers and representatives about the plan. Communicate all protocols to staff to ensure they are up to date on the latest policies and procedures. 
    • Provide Key HR Information to Staff: Include applicable information for staff regarding labor laws, disability insurance, paid family leave and unemployment insurance. See additional information on government programs supporting sick leave and worker’s compensation for COVID-19, including sick leave rights under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and employees’ rights to workers’ compensation benefits and presumption of the work-relatedness of COVID-19 pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order N-62-20, while that Order is in effect. 

Students and Families 

    • Share District-wide Protocols: Be sure to share information on district-wide plans and protocols with families in advance of key dates to ensure a wider reach.  
    • Share Public Health Information: Provide links to or cite credible information from established and reliable sources such as the California Department of Public Health, the California Department of Education, the official California State COVID-19 website, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    • Individual School-Site Status: Consider sharing with your community the status of individual school(s), along with directions for parents, families, and caregivers on how to find more information.
    • Ensure Access to the Information: Use multiple modalities, languages, and formats to reach caregivers and community members in their native languages. In addition to your website, consider including phone, text, social media, or in-person communication at pick-ups.

TOOLS

RESOURCES

For more information about how this tool was created and answers to other questions, see the FAQ section.  

The Health & Safety Guidebook for California LEAs
The Health & Safety Guidebook for California LEAs was developed in collaboration with the
California State Board of Education and other technical assistance partners.