Updated on July 14, 2020 — The Guthrie Board of Education approved (7-0) the back to school plan at their July board meeting.
The Guthrie Board of Education will discuss and consider COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming school year at their meeting scheduled for Monday.
The board meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. inside the Guthrie Junior High School and will be streamed live on Guthrie News Page.
School board members will consider and vote upon the COVID recommendations by the school district’s administration.
Guthrie Public Schools will start the school year in person Aug. 20. Related article: GPS to begin classes August 20; view school calendar
School officials say there might come a time when they may have to close a classroom, school or the whole district because of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The district says if they have to transition from in person instruction to distance learning overnight they are equipped with the resources and knowledge to conduct and participate in distance learning.
Related article: GPS encouraging all families to explore adding home internet
Google Classroom, Edgenuity Online Courseware for grades 6‐12, and Exact Path Online Courseware will be used for grades K‐5. School staff will use professional development days to be trained on implementing those options to assure there will be no loss of instruction if distance learning is needed.
Parents will be encouraged to take their child to school if possible.
Masks will be encouraged to wear when social distancing of six feet or more isn’t possible. Parents will be required to screen their child daily before leaving home for COVID‐19 symptoms. Staff will also be required to screen for the same COVID‐19 symptoms. Any visitors to a school will be required to wear a mask at all times while on campus.
The school district continues to offer the Bluejay Academy, which is a fulltime virtual class with online curriculum for individual students in grades sixth through 12.
Response to COVID-19
If a student or staff member exhibits a temperature of 100 degrees or above (whether at school or at home), they must be sent, or remain, at home until one of the following conditions is met. With a negative COVID test, he/she can return to school after being three days fever free with no fever reducing medication. If not tested, the student or staff member must remain home for 10 days.
If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID 19, the Health Department will be notified and conduct contract tracing. If the student or staff member is in the elementary grade range, all individual class members will quarantine and go to distance learning for 14 days from last exposure and monitor any symptoms.
All other grade level actions will be dependent on contact tracing and decisions by the Health Department.
If at any time with the report of a positive case the absenteeism rate at a site/district reaches 35%, the site/district (dependent on size and school structure) will go to distance learning for 14 days.
Proposed COVID-19 Protocol for GPS
Daily Screening
1. Parent screening using provided checklist; if parents send their child to school, they are certifying they have screened their child. It’s the parent’s responsibility to do the parent screening and it will be relied upon by the school district.
2. Staff also screen themselves; it is the staff member’s responsibility to screen themselves before coming to work. By coming to work, then they are certifying they have screened themselves.
At School Procedures
Isolation Room: Any student or staff member who exhibits a fever of 100 degrees or more will be instantly isolated in a predetermined isolation room and immediately sent home.
After being sent home, the student or staff member cannot return to school until one of the following criteria is met:
* Without COVID testing, the student or staff member must not be present at school for 10 days from symptom onset. The student or staff member may return on 11th day if symptoms have resolved.
* After a negative COVID test, the student or staff member can return to physical school after 3 days of being fever free with no fever reducing medication.
* The student will become a distance learner at home until he/she can return to school.
* The student will be counted as present because distance learning will be provided.
* The student will be entered into a database accessible only to necessary school personnel.
Positive Case – Elementary Campus
1. Consult with Logan County Health Department as they begin contact tracing.
2. Communicate to staff
3. Communicate to applicable parents depending on classroom arrangement.
4. Thoroughly sanitize classroom.
5. Positive case classroom goes to distance learning for 14 days while those students are quarantined. If the student has siblings, the siblings will be quarantined.
6. If the attendance of campus learners at the site and/or district where the positive case occurs reaches a 35% absenteeism rate, the site and/or district (dependent on school size and structure) will go to distance learning for 14 days. The count starts on the first day of distance learning.
7. Grab and Go meals will be provided starting on Day 1 of distance learning. Delivery schedule will be dictated by the district’s Child Nutrition capabilities.
Positive Case – Secondary Level Campus (High School and Junior High)
1. Consult with Logan County Health Department as they begin contact tracing.
2. Communicate to staff
3. Communicate to parents at site about positive case
4. Logan County Health Department will decide which students must be quarantined and go to distance learning dependent on exposure level as determined by the county health officials.
5. If the attendance at the site and/or district where the positive case occurs reaches a 35% absenteeism rate, the site and/or district (dependent on school size and structure) will go to distance learning for 14 days. The count starts on the first day of distance learning.
6. Grab and Go meals will be provided starting on Day 1 of distance learning. Delivery schedule will be dictated by the Child Nutrition capabilities.
Requirements for all elementary and secondary teachers
1. Maximize classroom space (remove reading nooks, center areas, etc.)
2. One directional seating (for all classrooms that don’t have round tables)
3. Seating charts (required by all teachers for all classes)
Bus Transportation
1. Recommend alternate transportation if possible for all bus riders.
2. Maximize air flow.
3. Seating chart required.
4. Additional bus routes (district decision)
Commendable efforts, however what about asymptomatic spread? If there are no symptoms how will all these well thought out plans work? I believe the scientists say 40% is asymptomatic spread and that along with particles staying airborne longer than fist thought is what makes it so hard to control. All things must be considered since we are dealing with our precious ones. After all, they are our future.Everyone Please wear your face mask!!! Mask it or casket your choice.
Exactly what I was wondering.