Blytheville Public Schools
COVID-19 Guidelines for 2021-2022
The Blytheville School District will have the following procedures in place during the 2021-2022 school year. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 numbers in our area and adjust our recommendations accordingly.
Will faculty, staff and students be required to wear face coverings? Yes
4.25.1 – COVID-19 Guidelines (Policy 1.24)
The Board of Directors is mindful of the evolving need for emergency measures to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In consideration of the recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Arkansas Department of Health, and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Board is adopting this emergency policy for all students and employees of Blytheville Public Schools.
WEARING MASKS AND FACE COVERINGS
STUDENTS
Until further action of the Board, all students in Pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade shall be required to wear a mask or face covering (a) while attending school or a school function in any school building, facility or other area of a school campus, and (b) when riding in school provided transportation. All masks and face coverings must cover the nose and mouth of the student.This policy applies to students waiting outside school buildings before and after school, and to students waiting at bus stops. Students shall wear masks and face coverings at all times except for the following:
Students may remove masks and face coverings for eating or drinking;
Students may remove masks and face coverings when appropriate social distancing measures are in place as determined by a teacher or school administrator;
Students may be exempted from this policy by the school principal due to a documented medical condition of the student;
Students may remove masks and face coverings on a case-by-case basis for specific instructional needs, including physical education activities, as determined by a teacher, in which case the teacher will utilize appropriate social distancing measures to the extent possible; or
Students may be exempted from this policy due to special behavioral or individualized needs as determined by the Director of Special Services. Students who refuse to wear a mask or face covering at school or at a school function under this policy shall be required to leave the school campus consistent with Board Policy 4.25 on student dress. Students who refuse to wear a mask or face covering on a school bus shall be subject to Board Policy 4.19 on student conduct while riding a bus.
EMPLOYEES
Until further action of the Board, all employees of Blytheville Public Schools shall be required to wear a mask or face covering while working or attending a school function in any school building, facility or other area of a school campus. All masks and face coverings must cover the
nose and mouth of the employee.
Employees shall wear masks and face coverings at all times except for the following:
Employees may remove masks and face coverings for eating and drinking.
Employees may remove masks and face coverings when appropriate social distancing measures are in place; or
Employees may be exempted from this policy by the school principal or the Superintendent of Schools due to a documented medical condition of the employee.
Temperature Check-in at all buildings will be conducted for all people coming on to campus.
Social Distancing on Campus/Buses will be followed when possible.
Sanitizing Stations available throughout the school specifically entrances, exits, high traffic areas.
Sanitizing Foggers will be used per CDC guidelines to maintain a clean, safe environment for all staff and students.
Cleaning measures will be followed per CDC recommendations.
This policy applies to anyone visiting the BSD campuses.
Will the District continue to provide masks for our students?
The District will have disposable masks and cloth masks available for students and staff.
Will the District continue to provide rigorous cleaning and disinfection?
Yes, we will continue to disinfect rooms on a daily basis and staff members will be supplied with cleaning supplies for their classrooms as well.
Will social distancing guidelines be observed?
Yes. When at all possible, the recommended 3 ft. social distancing in classrooms will be maintained.
Will special measures be taken to ensure social distancing in large group settings?
Each building will implement protocols for before and after school, lunch and recess to encourage social distancing and improve contact tracing as was done in the previous school year.
If I have COVID-19 symptoms, what should you do?
If you have allergy or cold like symptoms, we ask that you err on the side of caution. With the original COVID-19 virus, an infected individual might infect 2 to 3 others. The Delta variant has proven to be much more contagious with one infected individual infecting 8 to 9 others.
We are telling all parents/guardians of students who will be in attendance on-site, virtual students, and all employees to notify our designated Point of Contact (Tiffany Townsend) immediately when the following occurs:
Someone in the household has tested positive for COVID-19.
Someone in the household has been identified as a close contact to a positive case of COVID-19 and is requiring quarantine and/or recommended to be tested for COVID-19.
Students and employees who are being tested for COVID-19: If tested you must remain in quarantine until you receive your results. Even for medical procedures.
A copy of your negative or positive results needs to be submitted to Tiffany Townsend.
Please call Tiffany Townsend at (870) 278-0184 or email information to ttownsend@blythevilleschools.net.
If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, what will happen?
If you have COVID-19 with mild symptoms, you must isolate until:
10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared AND
you have not had fever of 100.4 or higher for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication AND your symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath are improving.
If an individual is in close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual, will quarantine be required?
Individuals who have been vaccinated will NOT be required to quarantine if they come in close contact with a COVID -19 positive individual. Additionally, individuals exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 will NOT be required to quarantine if they have no symptoms and both the infected and exposed individual consistently and correctly were wearing a mask.
When would one be considered fully vaccinated?
2 weeks after your second does in a 2-dose series, like Pfizer or Moderna vaccines
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson”Janssen vaccine.
Will the district continue Contact tracing protocols?
District personnel will continue to follow the process of identifying and reporting positive cases to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Will students and adults continue to be screened daily?
Temperatures of both students and adults will be taken each day upon arrival to each building. Staff will complete a daily screening tool on their own. Staff will be provided a link to the tool prior to the start of school. Individuals will be asked the following questions:
1. Have you had a fever of 100.4°F or greater in the last 2 days
2. Have you had a cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell
3. Have you been in contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19 within the previous 14 days
Should students return to school in the fall?
The CDC states students benefit from in person learning and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall of 2021 is a priority. Along with this recommendation, the CDC recommends layered prevention strategies to protect those who are not fully vaccinated. These include screening, testing, ventilation, handwashing, respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfecting. All strategies are being addressed by our district. According to the CDC, though COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred in school settings, multiple studies have shown that transmission rates within school settings, when multiple prevention strategies are within place, are typically lower than community transmission levels.
What special precautions will be implemented in regard to cleaning and sanitizing?
Sanitation and cleanliness will continue to be a high priority for our District. Most importantly, good hand hygiene will continue to be encouraged. Teachers have hand sanitizer that is made available to them.
If a student comes to school sick, what will happen?
If a student comes to school sick, the school nurse will screen the student and check their temperature. If the temperature is over the ADH guidance, the student will be sent home. Students must be free from fever, diarrhea, and vomiting for 48 hours without medication before returning to school. When the student returns to school, they will check in with the school nurse before going to the classroom.
If my student is unable to attend school in person for isolation or quarantining, how will they access their lessons?
Students in grades K-2 will have access to make up work that can be picked up by or emailed to the parent. There will be no online instruction for this grade level.
Students in grades 3-5 will have access to make up work that can be picked up by the parent. The AMI packet will include classwork from classroom teachers and special area teachers (music, library, art, computer, and PE). There will be no online instruction for this grade level.
The following steps will be taken for students in grades 6-8:
1. Teachers will email assignments to their quarantined students.
2. Both students and their teachers will use email to communicate about assignments.
3. Teachers will be available to call students if the need arises.
4. Completed assignments will be submitted based on teacher discretion.
5. Completed work will be submitted through BUZZ and/or Google Classroom.
Students in grades 9-12 will continue to do their work in BUZZ and attend Zoom meetings or office hours with teachers, as announced.
How will we help fill gaps in learning from the previous year?
Curriculum teams have revised the curriculum to include essential standards that may have been missed. Students will be assessed to identify individual strengths and deficits in order to provide additional support needed.