As the Kentucky Department of Education continues to develop guidance for reopening and operating schools this fall, they discussed several topics during Tuesday’s Special Superintendents’ Webcast.
Local school districts are continuing to develop their own plans and they will rely on KDE for guidance, but nothing has been finalized.
The following information was provided by KDE following their webcast regarding some of the major topics of discussion:
More reopening guidance
Guidance on reopening and operating schools is coming out regularly, with KDE releasing the latest planning information on Monday. (All of their reopening guidance can be found here.)
“COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Workplace Health and Safety” covers five major topics and includes links to previous guidance from multiple agencies, said Kay Kennedy of KDE’s Office of Finance and Operations. The June 24 Healthy at School initiative still is the “flagship document,” but districts also should consult with local health departments, Kennedy said. The Healthy at School guidance also has been released in Spanish.
Providing food
Superintendents questioned how their districts would be expected to offer meals to students using non-traditional instruction (NTI) as well as how often.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced waivers on June 25 which allow flexibility in school meal programs, said KDE Associate Commissioner Robin Kinney. Many children rely on school meals, so districts are encouraged to keep providing them even to remote learners, she said.
The waivers allow “multiple meals over multiple days,” so a student could be allowed to pick up several meals at once and take them home for days of remote instruction, Kinney said. But districts should make sure their plans are practical long-term, she said.
During the last school year, some districts delivered meals to student residences, Kinney said that became a difficult model to sustain.
Masks and movement
Returning to a long-running debate on mask rules and COVID-19 transmission, superintendents questioned how to keep students and staff safe for multiple hours in the school building. Recommendations on ventilation are in the June 29 facilities guidance, Kennedy said.
But face masks remain the primary personal defense against the airborne droplets that can carry the virus, Department for Public Health (DPH) officials said.
Connie White, deputy commissioner of DPH, said students should be kept in one place as much as possible.
Emily Messerli, immunization branch manager for DPH, said that if they can’t be kept at least 6 feet apart or they need to move around, students need to wear masks.
Children in kindergarten and below can’t be expected to remain in masks and there are no specific rules for keeping them apart. However, Messerli said teachers should try to separate them at desks as much as possible, promote handwashing and practice “cohorting,” keeping the same groups together and not mixing with others.
White said taking students outdoors where they can separate would give them a break from mask-wearing. Cleaning standards for playground equipment are in the facilities guidance, but playgrounds generally should be cleaned between each group’s use, Kennedy said.
Leave policy
Many superintendents asked about leave related to the coronavirus. State officials said they would address those questions in detail during the July 14 Special Superintendents’ Webcast. Interim Commissioner of Education Kevin C. Brown said a written breakdown of the various leave policies and rules operating now would be issued soon.
Free Thermometers
Information on distribution of the 12,500 free, no-touch thermometers allocated to Kentucky school districts will be given to superintendents and district finance officers this week, Kinney said.
—–
