2021-2022 Covid Plan
2021-2022 COVID-19
Red Oak Community School District
August 1, 2021
Face Masks
Effective May 20, 2021, Iowa Code prohibits school districts from adopting or enforcing a policy that requires employees, students, or the public to wear a mask while on school property. Therefore, the use of face coverings will be optional for students, staff, and visitors.
Physical Distancing
Students and teachers must respect the physical space of others. Individuals are encouraged to maintain six feet of separation between themselves and others as much as possible. Group sizes will be limited as much as possible. Water fountains will be turned off or covered to prevent use; bottle fillers and sink faucets will be available for students to fill personal water bottles. All students will have access to lockers, but secondary aged students are encouraged to carry materials with them from class to class.
Illness Reporting
The Iowa Department of Public Health is no longer conducting contact tracing or investigations for all positive reports of COVID-19. The IDPH is not issuing isolation or quarantine orders. In the absence of such support, the school district is extremely limited in its capacity to conduct contact tracing. In many instances, the district may not be informed of confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Parents will be updated on a weekly basis if confirmed cases of COVID-19 are reported to their child’s building. The district will also report to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) when more than 10% of students are absent from school. The local public health office will provide the school with recommendations and support tailored to the type(s) of illness(es) reported.
Anyone who is feeling ill should stay at home at least 24 hours after their symptoms resolve. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should stay at home for at least 10 days after their symptoms first appeared and go 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications).
Individuals who experience symptoms relating to COVID-19 or have a confirmed case are encouraged to report this to the school. The school nurse is available to answer specific questions.
Student Pre-Screening
Parents are asked to screen their children at home for fever (over 100.4 F) or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea. Students exhibiting any of these symptoms should not report to school; parents are encouraged to consult a medical professional. The school nurse is available to answer specific questions.
Prevention Strategies
Students and staff are expected to wash or sanitize their hands upon entering the building (i.e., first classroom a student enters), when entering and exiting individual classrooms, before and after eating, and when exiting building. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the buildings.
Students and staff are expected to cover their mouths with their upper arm or tissue when coughing or sneezing. They are encouraged to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth. They are encouraged to avoid close contact with people who are sick.
While not required, vaccination for those eligible is the most effective way to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19. Information regarding COVID-19 vaccinations is available at https://vaccinate.iowa.gov/.
School districts cannot require students, staff, or visitors to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. HF 899 prohibits the mandatory disclosure of vaccination as a condition of entry to a district facility.
Mitigation Strategies
Enhanced cleaning protocols will be implemented throughout the day. High touch areas will be sanitized daily; buildings will be deep cleaned twice a week.
Instructional Delivery
A growing body of research shows that most students prefer and achieve at higher levels when provided face-to-face instruction. Last year, Governor Reynolds stated that full-time, in-person instruction is the presumed teaching method and that “School districts...shall take all efforts to continue to safely provide in-person education throughout the school year.” Although we have the flexibility to shift to virtual or remote instruction should the need arise, we are not in the position to provide both virtual and physical instruction simultaneously. Staffing and scheduling constraints also make hybrid instruction problematic. Therefore, we will implement robust, full-time, in-person instruction while taking steps to ensure the safety of all students and staff.