Dexter R-XI releases re-entry plan for 2020-21 school year

The Dexter R-XI School District has released its COVID-19 re-entry plan for its students and staff.

The district formed a task force consisting of Superintendent Amy James, Assistant Superintendent Gavin Miller, Retired Superintendent C.A. Counts, school board members, building principals and assistant principals, the Southwest Elementary nurse and other staff members from various buildings and job functions to get a wide range of knowledge and skills.

The task force has consulted with the Stoddard County Health Department, Chartwells Food Service and CPC Cleaning while developing its plan.

The district has released a multiplan approach for re-entry.

Plan A: The least restrictive and would be face-to-face contact with increased sanitization procedures, minimal social distancing in place and masks optional in all areas.

Plan B: Face-to-face contact with increased sanitization procedures, more stringent social distancing procedures in place, daily staff screenings, parent/student self screenings and masks required in some areas on campus.

Plan C: Fixed blended instructional patterns used for the purpose of physically reducing the number of students present at school at one time. Students would be physically present at school for some part of each week, and distance learning would be implemented during the rest of the week.

Plan D: All building closed due to health and safety concerns and full distance learning begins. Classes will be taught virtually or through packet-based instruction and videos.

The district anticipates opening under Plan B.

Staff and visitors

With COVID-19 being an everchanging situation, the district will share any changes to the plan on social media, email, texts and the district website at dexter.k12.mo.us.

The district will not allow any visitors on campus without prior approval at the start of the school year. However, according to the district plan, this practice could be relaxed should the environment and/or recommendations from the district's health partners change.

Visitors approved to visit campus may be screened, asked to wear a mask or if they are high-risk individuals and may be denied entry. No food deliveries to the buildings will be permitted.

The staff will be required to complete a daily screening, including temperature check and answering a set of questions regarding symptoms.

All staff will be provided a mask by the district and must wear it in the following situations: when assisting individuals or small groups of students, when social distancing is not possible, in common areas, when riding a school bus and when in close proximity to colleagues.

Teachers will be provided with hand sanitizer and disinfectant in their classrooms and will be asked to educate students on good hand washing procedures and frequently sanitize desktops, door knobs and other areas with frequently touched items.

Parents/students

Parents will be asked to complete a daily screening with their student, which will include a temperature reading and answering a set of questions relating to COVID-19 symptoms. The district is not planning at this time to implement temperature checks on students each day. However, if a student is not feeling well or visits the nurse, a temperature check and/or additional screening may be implemented.

General cleaning procedures

The schools buildings will be cleaned throughly at least once a day. The district will use electrostatic cleaning machines to enhance sanitization. The district will have bathrooms and other frequently touched common surfaces cleaned throughout the day. Teachers will have a spray bottle of disinfectant to wipe down desks, door knobs and other classroom surfaces frequently.

Transportation

The district will continue to provide bus transportation but highly recommends that families provide their own transportation due to social distancing recommendations. Buses will be sanitized each day after the morning and afternoon routes. The district is asking students not to ride the bus if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, have tested positive or are awaiting test results or had a fever in the last 72 hours.

Bus drivers and/or bus aides will monitor for symptoms such as excessive coughing and may request that a student sit in a designated area on the bus. The driver and/or aide will immediately alert the school administration or nurse if they suspect a student may have symptoms.

Students may be assigned a seat on the bus and must remain in their seat, face forward and should not touch others.

Students from the same household may be required to sit in the same seat, row or close proximity to one another.

Buses will be loaded from back to front by bus stop as much as possible in order to minimize contact and risk while loading and unloading.

The district will require students to wear a mask/face covering at all time on a bus if social distancing cannot be achieved. The students will be encouraged to have their own mask, but disposable masks will be available as needed. If the students have transportation as a related service to their Individual Education Plan, the IEP team will make the most appropriate decision for the student.

Extracurricular events

The district will follow recommendations from DESE, the CDC, local health officials, the governor and MSHSAA. The athletic director will share any new updates with district and building administration, coaches and sponsors. Parent permission and waiver of liability may be required for participation. The district will have safety protocols in place for the safety of the students and staff. Information regarding events home and away will be shared with families. The district said that everyone should expect to follow the guidelines of the host school, such as mandatory masks or reduced attendance.

Academic and instructional

The district stated it will use face-to-face instruction and an online platform intermittently. The face-to-face instruction will help the students develop communication skills through interaction, and the online platform will allow the district and students to prepare should a different plan need to be implemented.

This decision was based on the information provided in the parent/guardian survey, from the CDC regarding children and COVID-19, local health officials, and information gained from summer school.

For prekindergarten through second grade, the district will conduct instruction in an in-person format. Lessons will be recorded and packets prepared for a blended model (mix of in-person and distanced learning to reduce the number of students on campus). Formalized instruction would be provided through an online format, Channel 2 or other media source.

For grades three through 12, instruction will take place in an in-person format with students beginning to use the online platform Google Classroom intermittently throughout the school day to prepare for blended learning or temporary closure. If a temporary closure takes place, classes would move to virtual learning and continue in that format until reopening.

For special and elective classes, the district will use the following procedures: space will be increased between students/performers, teachers will utilize activities that limit close contact with other students, activities will be modified to reduce shared equipment, equipment will be sanitized before exchanging users, classes will be moved outdoors when possible and safety measures will be implemented to clean and sanitize circulated materials.

Special services

The district will provide all special education students instruction in line with their IEP. Should there be a temporary school closure, students will continue to receive services from a special education teacher. The district's IEP will now contain a new form, G-Distance Learning Plan. The form will be completed by the parents and other members of the IEP team.

Students with 504 plans will continue to receive support and students receiving ELL services will continue to do so. ACE will continue to be provided while the school is in an in-person or belnded format.

Daily building procedures

Students are required to bring their own masks because a limited supply of disposable masks are available. If needed students with special needs may be exempt from this requirement. All students, including ECSE, are required to wear masks on buses if social distancing cannot be achieved.

The district will require students in grades six through 12 to wear masks in hallways and common areas. Students in prekindergarten through the fifth grade are encouraged to wear masks in hallways and common areas. The students will remain in their homerooms during these times.

The district said all students, depending on the activities, may be required to wear masks during intermittent periods in classrooms throughout the day. The district said students may wear a mask all the time if they wish. Students will be required to wash and sanitize their hands before and after recess.

Water fountains will not be used and students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles, which they will keep in their possession. Meals will be served in the cafeteria and the classrooms depending on the building.

The district will have protocols in place to encourage social distancing though it cannot be guaranteed it will always take place.

Closure

Should the school experience a closure during the school year, the district will implement distance learning through Google Classroom for grades three through 12. Packets will be provided for prekindergarten through second grade. Paper material will be returned to the district at a defined drop-off location.

Exclusion and re-entry

A student can be excluded from school due to COVID-19 with a fever of more than 100, testing positive, living with a positive household member or having two or more COVID-19 symptoms without explanation: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, diarrhea and vomiting.

Students must meet certain criteria to re-enter. If students tested positive, they must have a note from a doctor or the Stoddard County Health Department (SCHD) stating they are released to return. If they tested negative, the student will be required to have a note from a doctor or the SCHD to return.

If students are untested they must have had no fever for 72 hours without medication or have gone at least five days since the symptoms began, or be 72 hours fever-free without medication and have significantly improved symptoms.