The health and safety of our students, staff and families remains our top priority in the Elk Grove Unified School District. As we transition students and staff return to our campuses for in-person instruction, the school and classroom environment will look and feel different due to the COVID-19 health and safety measures put in place to maintain a safe learning environment. Our safe, equitable and responsive plan to reopen school is based on guidance provided by Sacramento Country Public Health, state and federal agencies and will be updated as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

• Stable Group Structures (If Applicable)
• Entrance, Egress, and Movement Within the School
• Face Coverings and Other Essential Protective Gear
• Health Screenings for Students and Staff
• Healthy Hygiene Practices
• Identification and Tracing of Contacts
• Physical Distancing
  • Classroom Set-up
  • Cleaning & Disinfecting
• Staff Training and Family Education
• Testing of Students and Staff
• Identification and Reporting of Cases
• Communication Plans
• Appendix 1 – Sample Notifications

Resources

Face Covering/Mask Guide – Information on appropriate face coverings
Symptom Decision Tree – Guide to when students should not attend school when ill
Daily Home Screening For Students- Guide to check for symptoms each day
Proper Handwashing Techniques Flyer
Fight Germs. Wash Your Hands! – Presentation
COVID-19 Signage – Elementary
COVID-19 Signage – Secondary

Stable Group Structures (Where Applicable)

Classrooms:

• Elementary sites:
  • Students will remain in the same assigned group of students and staff throughout the entire day.
• Secondary sites:
  • Students will be assigned a stable group for each class.
• No mixing of stable groups.

Recess:

• Stagger recess times throughout the school day.
• Students must remain in the same groups during recess, no mixing of groups.
• Staff and/or administration must monitor and supervise students during recess.
• Social distance be maintained between all students and between students and staff, to the extent possible.
• Face coverings must be worn by all students and staff.
  • No sharing of equipment, such as balls and jump ropes.
• If shared equipment is used, cleaning will be done between use.
• For playground use students will wash their hands before and after and be monitored for social distance.
• Equipment should be cleaned between use, or at least once daily.

Entrance, Egress, and Movement Within the School

• All families must stay in their cars when dropping off and picking up their students. Passengers must remain in the car unless assisting a child with unbuckling a car seat or unloading from a two-door vehicle. If passengers exit their cars, they must be wearing a face covering.
• It is recommended to have multiple, assigned, drop off and pick up locations to minimize contact and avoid unnecessary gatherings (i.e. assign locations by grade or track).
• Staff are to monitor students entering campus to ensure they are wearing face coverings and maintaining social distance as much as possible. If students do not have face coverings when entering campus, staff are to give students a face covering.
• Students are to walk to their classroom and line up outside of the classroom, social distance from each other and wait for the teacher to let students into the classroom.
• Students that come too early or do not get picked up at the end of the day need to be supervised by staff and/or administration for health and safety.
• Bike rack: Site to supervise before and after school to maintain social distancing

Passing Periods:

• One-way hallways, where applicable, and social distance signs in hallways.
• Campus supervisors, administrators, and/or other staff members to monitor students during the passing period.
• Extra time to be given between passing periods for cleaning classrooms.

Face Coverings and Other Essential Protective Gear

• Face coverings will be used in accordance with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines.
• All staff and students must wear face coverings at all times.
  • If students do not wear a face covering and are not exempt, they must be excluded from school and participate in distance learning.
• Students and staff must have a medical waiver signed by their primary care physician to be exempted from wearing a face covering.
• Students and staff are exempted from the requirement if:
  • They are under age 2 years old
  • Have a medical or mental health condition or disability that would impede them from properly wearing or handling a face covering (waiver required).
  • Persons exempted from wearing a face covering due to a medical condition, as confirmed by school district health team and therapists, must wear a non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge, as long as their condition permits it.
  • Those with a communication disability, or when it would inhibit communication with a person who is hearing impaired. Those with communication disabilities or caregivers of those with communication disabilities can consider wearing a face shield with a drape, clear mask or cloth mask with a clear panel when appropriate.
• Education limited situations where a face covering cannot be used for pedagogical or developmental reasons, (e.g., communicating or assisting young children or those with special needs) a face shield with a drape can be used instead of a face covering while in the classroom as long as the wearer maintains physical distance from others. Staff must return to wearing a face covering outside of the classroom.
• Face coverings should follow district dress code standards
• Education to all students and staff on how to properly wear, dispose, and clean face coverings, masks, and shields
• All visitors, including families, must wear face coverings when on campus
• Students and staff will be monitored throughout the day to ensure they are properly wearing a face covering.
• Removing of face coverings or face shields with a drape, will only occur during meals, snacks, naptime, or when it needs to be replaced. When a face covering is temporarily removed, it should be placed in a clean, safe area, designated for the specific student or staff, until it needs to be put on again.

 Face Covering/Mask Guide – Information on appropriate face coverings

Health Screenings for Students and Staff

Screening:

• Staff and students will be instructed to take their temperature and check for symptoms at home daily prior to coming to work or school:
  • Families and staff must report fever/symptoms to their school and work site.
  • Stay home if a student or staff has a fever, other symptoms, or have come in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • Education and communication to staff and families on how to properly take temperatures and check for COVID-19 symptoms daily.
• Training will be completed for staff on how to recognize COVID-19 symptoms in staff and students.
• Active screening is when staff and students are screened for illness including a temperature check and review of symptoms prior to entering campus or participating in specific activities.
• Active screening may be applies to 1:1 in-person assessments, athletics and extra-curricular activities.
• Parents/Guardians will be expected to check their student(s) for symptoms prior to arriving on campus each day. 

Symptoms on campus:

• Students who are symptomatic on campus will be sent to the COVID-19 Symptom Isolation (COSI) room to be assessed by a trained staff.
• Parents/guardians will be called to pick up student as soon as possible.
• Cleaning of the COSI room will be done in-between students or as frequently as possible.
• Staff who are symptomatic on campus will be sent home by their supervisor.
• For all cases, they will be recommended to reach out to their physician and take a COVID-19 test if needed.
• Follow SCPH symptom decision tree for students and staff.

Daily Home Screening For Students – Parents/Guardians may utilize this document as a guide to check for symptoms each day.
Symptom Decision Tree – Guide to when students should not attend school when ill

Healthy Hygiene Practice

• All students and staff will be taught proper handwashing practices, teaching may include:
  • Return demonstration
  • Video instructions
  • Staff training will be created and process defined by Risk Management
• All classrooms and offices have access to hand sanitizer and/or hand washing stations.
• All students and staff should wash hands, or use hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available, at increased frequencies.
  • Education provided on how to properly and safely use hand sanitizer for staff and students.
• Handwashing times need to be built in the daily activities in classrooms for students, staff, and visitors when:
  • Entering and exiting a classroom
  • Before and after meals
  • Before and after using the restroom
  • After sneezing or coughing into a tissue
  • Before and after using a shared item
  • Before and after playground use
• Provide continual reinforcement of proper hand hygiene practices throughout

Proper Handwashing Techniques Flyer
Fight Germs. Wash Your Hands! – Presentation

Identification and Tracing of Contacts

• Supervisor must be notified and supervisor will notify their school nurse or health coordinator of any positive COVID-19 cases.
• School nurse or health coordinator will:
  • Follow-up and confirm test results with the identified positive case and conduct in-district contact tracing.
  • Contact Sacramento County Public Health (SCPH) for confirmation and recommendations.
• Students/staff who tests positive must self-isolate at home until:
  • 24 hours with no fever AND
  • Respiratory symptoms have improved (e.g. cough, shortness of breath) AND
  • 10 days since symptoms first appeared.
• Exposure notifications will be sent to all staff and families who were possibly exposed on campus.

Physical Distancing

• Follow six (6) feet social distance guidelines when designing classrooms and offices.
• On buses, social distance to the maximum extent possible, but face coverings must be required at all times while on the bus.
• All students’ desks are to face the same direction.
• Students’ desks will be set-up at least six (6) feet distance from the teacher’s desk and from where the teacher will be providing instruction.
• Empty rooms with unneeded desks and other furniture to allow for more space.
• Storage for extra furniture and equipment in unused areas.
• Signs are posted around campus to remind students and staff of social distance throughout the campus.

Classroom Set-up

• All classrooms will be designed for students to sit 6 feet distance apart. Teachers desks will also be at least 6 feet from student desks. 
• Shared supplies will be kept to a minimum.  If supplies are shared, washing of students’ hands and cleaning will be done in-between use.  
• Students’ personal items will be stored at their assigned desks, or in a designated area, so items do not mix with other students.

Examples of Elementary Classroom Set-up

Click on thumbnails below to view larger images of elementary and secondary classrooms.

Examples of Secondary Classroom Set-up

Cleaning & Disinfecting

• Increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting is occurring throughout the District. 
• Increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting high touch point areas, such as doorknobs, handles, desks, light switches, sinks and drinking fountains, counters, tabletops, chairs, phones, keyboard and mouse. 
• Use of shared items will be limited, but if items are shared, cleaning and disinfecting will be completed between use. 
• Cleaning and disinfecting will be completed between each cohort. 
• With clear guidance and directions, students in secondary and upper grades in elementary will be given the opportunity and means to clean their own work areas with cleaning technology that is safe for student use. 
• All teachers will have access to safe cleaning technology for classroom use.

Staff Training and Family Education

• Training will be provided for all staff in illness prevention (including handwashing, social distance, face coverings, and proper cleaning and disinfecting), recognizing COVID-19 symptoms, etc.
• Education provided to all students on illness prevention (including handwashing, social distancing, face coverings) – With clear guidance and directions, students in secondary and upper grades in elementary will be given the opportunity and means to clean their own work areas with cleaning technology that is safe for student use.

Testing of Students and Staff

• Students and staff who are symptomatic or exposed to COVID-19 will be advised to contact their primary care physician or set-up an appointment through a free community testing site through SCPH as soon as possible.
• Families and staff who wish to participate in asymptomatic surveillance testing, the District will provide information about SCPH free community testing sites.

Identification and Reporting of Cases

When a student/staff member must quarantine/isolate: Quarantine/isolate will be determined by a physician, public health officer, school nurse and/or health coordinator.

• Supervisor must inform their school nurse or health coordinator if at administrative facilities.
• School nurse/health coordinator will notify the family/staff member when they need to quarantine.
• Site school nurse will then notify the Health Coordinator.
• Site school nurse/Health Coordinator will notify Sacramento County Public Health of positive cases on campus.
• Health Coordinator will notify:
  • Appropriate members of COVID-19 Case Response Team (CCRT).
  • Custodial Manager for deep cleaning at site, when appropriate.
  • And send appropriate exposure letters for distribution.

 Communication Plans

• Positive cases will be reported to the local health authorities and recorded and displayed on the district’s COVID-19 Dashboard.
  • http://www.egusd.net/covid-dashboard

Appendix 1 – Sample Notifications

Students:

• Exposure Letter (Positive Case) – Student
• Close Contact Letter – Student

Staff:

• Exposure Letter (Positive Case) – Staff
• Close Contact Letter – Staff