Stevensville School District
Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction
and Continuity of Services
Date of Adoption: June 23, 2021 by the Stevensville School Board of Trustees following 14 days for public comment
Revision Dates: August 31, 2021
SAFETY MEASURES
The District is taking the following measures to safely provide in-person instruction, including consideration of guidance by national, state, and local governing agencies and local health officials as follows:
Universal and Correct Wearing of Masks
Stevensville School District removed the mask mandate on April 19, 2021, based on vaccination rates and infection rates for the school. Masks are still highly recommended for all individuals.
The Superintendent will continue to monitor national, state, and local government and health agency mandates and report to the Board. The Superintendent will also continue to monitor HAN alerts from the county health department and make day-to-day mask determinations regarding requirements for personal protective equipment. Should the superintendent make an emergency decision regarding masking, the Board will conduct an emergency meeting as per Board Policy 1410.
The District will continue to train students and staff in the proper wearing of personal protective equipment and post signage outlining the proper wearing of personal protective equipment.
Physical Distancing
Due to ongoing construction limited space is available for physical distancing. Where possible, classroom seating with the minimum of 3 feet of social distancing will be maintained.
For the 2021-2022 school year, additional instructional staff has been hired to implement academic recovery programming and further reduce class sizes.
Handwashing and Respiratory Etiquette
Handwashing and respiratory etiquette is taught to students with high emphasis in the primary grade levels. Signage is posted throughout buildings as reminders of handwashing and respiratory etiquette.
In addition, hand sanitization stations/liquids are available in all classrooms.
Cleaning and Maintaining Healthy Facilities (including improving ventilation)
Custodial staff have been reassigned to daytime shifts to continually clean high traffic and high contact surfaces. The District uses cleaning solutions that are rated to kill the SARS virus. In addition to daily cleaning, all rooms and surfaces are treated with a nano-technology barrier solution on a bi-weekly basis. This solution is rated to last 30 days on surfaces and the District elects to retreat surfaces at the rated half-life of the product.
The District has installed ionization air cleaning units on all air intake ventilation units in all buildings. These units function at all times that ventilation units operate and are monitored electronically with through HVAC computer systems.
Contact Tracing
The Stevensville School District employs two full-time nursing staff. One position was added solely for the purpose of contract tracing and assisting with COVID-19 infection.
The Ravalli County Health Department is in direct contact with Stevensville School nurses regarding COVID-19 cases and our nursing staff conducts contact tracing on behalf of the Ravalli County Health Department. Any contact tracing completed by Stevensville School District nursing staff is submitted to the Ravalli County Health Department. Ravalli County Health Department assigns quarantines and isolation orders as they deem appropriate. THE STEVENSVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO NOT ASSIGN QUARANTINES OR ISOLATION AND THE DISTRICT DOES NOT GRANT WAIVERS TO QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION BASED ON VACCINATION STATUS OR OTHER FACTORS.
ONLY THE RAVALLI COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED TO ORDER QUARANTINE, ISOLATION, AND GRANT WAIVERS.
Stevensville School District nurses may provide notice of quarantine as requested by the Ravalli County Health Department.
Diagnostic and Screening Testing
The Stevensville School District does not conduct COVID-19 diagnostic or screening tests. Nurses monitor for symptoms and refer students and staff to medical services as appropriate.
Vaccinations
The District will act in accordance with national, state, and local governing agencies law with respect to vaccinations for its staff and eligible students.
The District will not refuse, withhold from, or deny a person any services, goods, facilities, advantages, privileges, licensing, educational opportunities, health care access, or employment opportunities based on the person’s vaccination status.
Accommodating Students with Disabilities
The District will provide accommodations to its policies for students with disabilities as determined appropriate based upon the individual student needs and in accordance with a individual accommodation plan or individualized education plan. Parents/guardians or students requiring student accommodations should contact the building administrator to request information on plans for students with disabilities.
CONTINUITY OF SERVICES
The District will provide for continuity of services as follows:
Student Academic Needs
Stevensville School District has implemented a summer school program to assist all K-12 students with academic recovery. The District plans to continue full time, in-person instruction beginning the fall of 2021 with limited exception. Additional instructional personnel have been added to staffing to implement further academic recovery efforts in core curriculum areas. These specialists will be available during the instructional day and/or during before and after school tutoring programs throughout the year.
Student Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs
Additional counseling staff has been added to the mental health staff to address the social and emotional learning needs of our students. The Bitterroot Valley Education Cooperative will continue Community School Comprehensive Treatment programs as funding is made available from the State of Montana.
Other Student Needs (which may include student health and food services)
Food services will continue to provide meals under the community provision as long as USDA continues the allowance. Meals will be provided for summer school attendees as well as all eligible youth during the school year. Summer meals will be provided for summer school and all children age 18 and under through July 2, 2021.
Summer school meals will resume August 10-12, 17-19, and 24-26. It is assumed that the USDA will continue the provision of community eligibility under the new school meal application.
Staff Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs
The District has provided staff with opportunities for social and emotional supports through post school hour meetings with the counseling staff and nursing staff. Social, emotional, and mental health need of staff may also be addressed through the Employee Assistance Program provided through the District insurance program.
Other Staff Needs
The District will follow national, state, and local governing agencies laws and directives in relation to staff employment and benefits.
PUBLIC INPUT
This plan will be open for public comment/discussion as noticed for the June 8, 2021 Board of Trustee meeting. In addition, a draft of the plan will be available in the District Office and posted for fourteen days (14) on the school website for public input.
The District will review this Plan at least once every six months and will provide an opportunity for public input in association with any review of the Plan.