Health Guidelines

• Requiring all eligible staff to be fully vaccinated on or before September 30, 2021, or participate in weekly COVID-19 testing. COVID-19 testing is available at all KCPS sites. A person is considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after receiving their last dose.
• Strongly recommend that all eligible students receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible
• Strongly recommend that all staff and students (with parent permission) participate in Weekly COVID-19 Surveillance and As-needed Symptomatic COVID-19 testing, available at all KCPS sites. Please contact the school nurse to sign up.
• Require all students, staff, and visitors to wear a mask indoors at KCPS sites, with the exception of those with documented health exemptions
• Require masks on busses and all district provided transportation
• Staff and students will wash hands/sanitize at appropriate times
• Students must be current on their immunizations for attendance in accordance with Missouri state law
• Appropriate cleaning supplies will be provided for each classroom
• Custodial staff will be in a mode of continuous cleaning, wiping down high touch points throughout the day and complete disinfection of KCPS sites at night
• Social distancing for students of 3 feet to the extent possible while indoors at all KCPS sites
• Activities will be held outdoors whenever possible
• Ventilation and air circulation have been increased wherever possible. Windows may be opened.
• Cohorting or podding of students whenever possible
• Seating charts at school and on KCPS busses
• COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation procedures will be immediately implemented, when needed
• Appropriate notification to families, students, and staff of a COVID-19 event will be made

Parents/caregivers should perform a daily assessment of students for symptoms prior to school arrival. Symptoms include: fever 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 experiencing any of these symptoms should not report to school and the parent/caregiver should contact the school nurse.

Students with evidence of an acute illness or close contact with a person with COVID-19 should not report to school. If a student has been given fever-reducing medications, such as Ibuprofen or Tylenol in the past 24 hours, the student should not go to school and the parent/caregiver should contact the school nurse. Additionally, if anyone in your household has tested positive in the last 14 days or been told to isolate, the student must stay home.

Parents/caregivers should monitor their child for signs and symptoms of infectious illness and keep the student home and not attend in-person classes if experiencing symptoms or ill.

Health maintenance is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• All students are encouraged to receive appropriate health maintenance checks (preventive and well-child visits), as recommended
• All students are required to receive all appropriate immunizations and the seasonal influenza vaccine is strongly encouraged. Immunizations decrease the incidence of many infectious diseases, which may mimic COVID-19 and cause unnecessary absences
• Students non-compliant with immunizations will be unable to attend in-person classes or school-related activities
• Parents will need to update the school nurse with information about any health conditions or concerns

• COVID-19 vaccine for eligible students is strongly recommended. For information on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine or information on where in our area to receive vaccine, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website or the Kansas City Health Department website for the most up-to-date information on vaccine and where to get it.

Bus transportation is necessary for children to get to and from school safely. Risks for both students and drivers will be mitigated. Parents/caregivers should prioritize a safe alternative mode of transportation, when available, to optimize physical distancing on the bus.

The following risk mitigation strategies will be employed:

• Loading all buses from back to front.
• Limit close interactions on the bus
• Targeting 1 student per seat
• Students residing together may ride in the same seat
• For situations where this is not possible an individual risk mitigation plan will be created for that route.
• Students will have assigned seats and will have magnetic name tags above each seat.
• Using tap-on/tap-off student ID cards for entering and exiting for tracing purposes. This will help with contact tracing efforts as needed. Drivers will keep records of any student riders not in possession of their ID card
• Face masks will be required by both the driver and the riders
• The exception will be for medical concerns that supersede mask usage. A note from a physician is required.
• Disposable masks will be available at the entry point to the bus.
• Buses will be disinfected between each bus run and at the end of each day after return to the bus barn.
• Hand sanitizer will also be available for student use upon boarding and exiting the bus.
• Social distancing will be achieved in cabs to the extent possible. Weather permitting, windows can be opened to allow for airflow

We are not able to adhere to the 3 feet of spacing recommended by the CDC; however, these steps, if mask usage is adhered to by all riders, will help reduce the likelihood of transmission.

• The formation of large groups and crowding should be avoided at the point of entry
• Multiple entrances should be used when possible
• Doors should be left open at entry so students do not need to touch doors
• Masked staff members or masked parent/caregiver should assist with transition from car to school
• Masked staff should assist with transition from car to school (as opposed to parent/caregiver)
• Hand hygiene should occur at school/classroom entry
• Students should be visually screened for signs of illness upon entry to the school/classroom
• Parents/visitors cannot enter without prior approval
• Dismissal should be staggered with masked staff or masked parent/caregiver accompanying students to their transportation home

Masking has been proven to be an effective way to decrease the spread of COVID-19. Masks need to cover the mouth and nose at all times. In this document, the term “mask” is used to include both a cloth face covering and medical grade mask. Masks with exhalation valves are prohibited. Gaiters are not recommended.

• All students, staff and visitors will be required to wear masks in our schools
• Masks will cover both the mouth and nose
• Students may wear their own masks or one will be provided by the district
• Wearing a face shield in addition to a mask can be considered but a face shield alone is not a substitute for a mask
• Masks will be worn at all times, except during active eating and drinking or outside recess.
• In Pre-K, children older than 2 years can safely wear masks. Masks will be required, but “mask breaks” may need to be considered. Masks breaks can include time outside or where a child is physically distanced from others
• Masks should never be worn while sleeping. During naptime, children should be physically distanced. Consider arranging children head to toe and putting up temporary barriers (e.g. mats) where children can be safely monitored but distanced
• Exceptions may be considered for young children (e.g. preschool) where masking may be difficult due to inappropriate mask hygiene (e.g. frequently touching mask and/or pulling the mask down so it does not cover the mouth and nose), or in children with difficulty with speech or language, or other educational needs
• Other exceptions may include students with special healthcare needs upon recommendation from their primary care provider
• Cloth face coverings should be washed daily and when soiled
• Additional masks will be available for students if mask is forgotten or becomes soiled and/or wet
• Students will be reminded regularly as to proper mask wearing, including hand hygiene before putting mask on and taking it off, avoidance of touching mask, and ensuring mask covers the mouth and nose
• Masks should be properly labeled to ensure the masks are not shared between students

Although face coverings are required to be worn by all staff, some staff require PPE due to the nature of their role in the school.

• All school nurses will have access to appropriate PPE to take care of an ill student or staff member. Appropriate PPE includes gown, gloves, medical-grade mask, and eye shield
• For students who require an aerosol-generating procedure such as suctioning, staff will require full PPE
• Gloves should be used when handling food, caring for an ill student or staff member, or when bodily fluid contamination may occur. Otherwise, gloves are not necessary.

Hand hygiene is an important step in decreasing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Hand hygiene will occur:

• Before eating food
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• Before and after touching (e.g. putting on or taking off) a mask
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal food, or animal waste
• After handling pet food or pet treats
• After touching garbage

Hand Washing Instructions:

• Wet hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap
• Lather hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails
• Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds. Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end two times
• Rinse hands well under clean, running water
• Dry hands using a clean towel or air dry them

An alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used if soap and water are not available. Using soap and water is more effective than alcohol-based hand sanitizers and should be used whenever possible.

• Apply hand sanitizer product to the palm of one hand (read the label to determine correct amount)
• Rub hands together
• Rub the gel over all the surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds

Every effort will be made to physically distance and cohort or pod children. This means that the children will learn together, eat together, and play together, allowing for the rapid identification of those who may have been exposed should a positive COVID-19 case occur in the cohort or pod.

• Ideally, desks will be placed three feet apart
• If using tables, students podded at the table are to be podded in all other school areas where six feet of social distance is not possible
• In Pre-K classrooms, limit the number of students in centers. Create individual tubs for materials that are typically shared. Space centers to allow for social distancing
• Outdoor classroom space for learning, eating, and playing should be used as much as possible, weather permitting
• Large spaces, such as auditoriums and gymnasiums, should be used as classrooms, when able, to optimize space and physical distancing
• When physical distancing cannot be maintained, children should be kept in cohorts or pods.
• Teachers should rotate between classrooms instead of having children move from class to class, when feasible
• Student desks should all face the same direction, when possible
• Classes are required to have assigned seating to assist with contact tracing
• All desks will be wiped down between classes
• Minimize the mixing of students between classes and grades (e.g., bathrooms)

Recess and Physical Education

Recess and physical education are important for students and should be part of the elementary school day when possible.

• Outdoor activities should be considered whenever possible
• Masks must be worn even outdoors when six feet social distancing cannot be maintained
• When participating in physical activity, students should be organized into cohorts where possible
• Hand hygiene should occur before and after recess and physical education
• Physical education activities should avoid prolonged, close contact, and focus on individual skills and drills
• Equipment used during recess and physical education will be cleaned and disinfected between use

Specialty Classes

The CDC has designated some activities to be a higher risk for spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.

• High-risk activities, including band and choir, should take place outside where physical distancing of at least six feet can occur
• If physical distancing cannot occur, consider virtual options

Protection of children who fall into the “high risk” category for severe illness due to COVID-19 is of our utmost concern.

• The school nurse will identify students with special health care considerations that are at a higher risk for severe illness response to COVID-19. The school nurse will work with families and physicians to support the health and safety of identified students
• The CDC has identified those at higher risk for severe illness response to COVID-19 to include but are not limited to:
  • Chronic lung conditions
  • Serious heart conditions
  • Immunocompromising conditions including cancer treatment, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic kidney conditions requiring dialysis
  • Liver conditions
  • Sickle cell disease and other blood disorders
  • Obesity
  • Certain disabilities including:
    • Limited mobility or cannot avoid coming into close contact with others who may be infected, such as direct support providers and family members
    • Trouble understanding information or practicing preventative measures such as hand washing and social distancing
    • Not being able to communicate symptoms of illness

Health plans, IEPs and 504s can be updated as needed for COVID-19 health and safety considerations.

Discontinue nebulizer treatments altogether. Parents must supply alternate asthma medication delivery systems such as inhalers with spacers if available.

To ensure the safety of every student, the health office will limit students when possible and avoid admittance of children with COVID-19 symptoms.

• Notify (call, radio, text) the nurse before sending students to the health office
• Daily medication administration will be handled in the health office by appointment time
• Minor ailments will be handled in the classroom. If you have any concerns please call the nurse or send the student to the nurse
• Students will stop before entering the health office. The nurse will meet students for temporal thermometer checks. If the student has no fever or symptoms of COVID-19, the student proceeds into the health office as usual
• Any student presenting with a temporal reading of 99.1 or higher will require an oral temperature be taken. Any student with a temperature of 100.0 or greater will be sent to the Q room for parent pickup.
• Any student presenting to the health office with symptoms associated with COVID-19 will be sent to the Q room for further evaluation and parent pickup
• Chairs will be appropriately spaced in the hallways outside of the health office for student overflow
• All COVID positive and presumed positive students will be logged in a database for each school site available only to the school nurse. A separate district-wide database will be maintained by the nurse manager
• The school nurse will provide a daily do-not-enter list to the principal and attendance secretary with return dates
• Any students with symptoms associated with COVID-19 will be encouraged to follow-up with their provider per Children’s Mercy recommendations.

Schools have a written plan for isolation and containment when a student or staff member is ill. Parents/caregivers will be provided pertinent information, including symptoms for which a student will be sent home, the time interval in which a student must be picked up, and the criteria for return to school. All schools will have a designated space students can be placed until picked up by a parent/caregiver. Students will not be left unattended. A designated staff member will monitor the student and ensure their safety until the student is picked up.

COVID-19 vaccine for eligible students is strongly encouraged. For information on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine or information on where in our area to receive vaccine, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/vaccination.html for the most up-to-date information.