Updated COVID Response and Return-to-School Plan

CCR3 COVID Response and Return-to-School Plan

2021-2022 School Year

Updated October 20, 2021

As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we have prepared a Return-to-School Plan to help guide us.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance this summer for fully vaccinated individuals, based on new evidence regarding the COVID-19 Delta variant.  CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status. Therefore, we will recommend masks for students, staff, and visitors for the 21-22 school year unless their guidance changes. Due to CDC guidance, masks are required for public transportation which does include school buses.  We will continue to heed the rapidly changing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Missouri Department of Secondary Education (DESE) and updated guidance from the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD). 

Plans for Instructional Delivery

• CCR3 will only be offering face-to-face instruction the 21-22 school year.  Participation in the MOCAP via the Launch program for virtual instruction is available but will not be taught by CCR3 staff. 

Face Coverings/Face Masks

• Masks are recommended but not required unless or until it is required by the CCHD or another governmental agency.  Staff and students are welcome to wear face masks at school or extracurricular activities if they so choose. Once Clinton County (Ages 5-17) reaches a 5% infection rate, the District will require masks and revisit the mandate every 30 days. 

Vaccinations

• COVID vaccines will not be required of students or staff.  Please contact the Clinton County Health Department or your healthcare provider for vaccination options. 

Daily Screenings/When to Stay Home

• It is imperative that we all do our part to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.  Based on information provided by the CDC, the CCR3 school district requests that all families and staff monitor their health prior to attending school.  Students or staff members should stay home if they:
  • Have a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
  • Have 2 or more low risk symptoms (congestion/runny nose, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, sore throat, headache, muscle/body aches)
  • Have one or more high risk symptoms. (new onset cough, difficulty breathing, loss of taste/smell)
  • Have a known exposure to someone diagnosed with COVID
• Students and staff experiencing a fever plus any other symptom should stay home until they are fever-free without the use of medication for 24 hours ANDthey have experienced improvement of other symptoms.

Is COVID Testing Available?

• Please contact your healthcare provider or the Clinton County Health Department for testing. 

What to do When Testing Positive

• Students or staff testing positive for COVID-19 should follow the advice of their healthcare provider and stay home until: 
  • Fever-free without the use of medication for 72 hours
  • Experienced improvement of other symptoms 
  • 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

Contact Tracing

Close contacts are defined as persons who spend a cumulative 15 minute or more period of

time during a 24 hour period within 6 feet of an infected person. CCR3 will assist the Clinton County Health Department with contact tracing when necessary.

• Infected persons are considered contagious beginning 48 hours prior to symptom onset,

and remain contagious for 10 days from symptom onset.

• An exclusion in the close-contact definition exists in the classroom environment if both

persons in question are students, and have been appropriately masked for the duration

of exposure.  

• In October, the BOE approved the Test to Stay option for students who have been identified as close contact. CCR3 will follow the DESE/DHSS Test to Stay protocol for this option. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-school-operating-guidance

• Close contacts who do not participate in the Test to Stay option are required to be quarantined for 10 days from the date of last contact with the infected Individual.

• Fully vaccinated persons are not required to quarantine after close contact with an infected

Individual.

○ Fully vaccinated persons should be notified of close contact, and monitor themselves for

symptoms during the incubation period.

○ Fully vaccinated persons who develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should

immediately isolate and seek testing to determine if they have been infected.

The following resource from DESE/DHSS will be used for contact tracing: https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/covid-mo-k-12-school-guidance

What to Do After Being Exposed to a Person Who Tests positive for COVID

• Students or staff that have been in close contact with a person testing positive  for COVID-19 should follow the advice of their healthcare provider and monitor themselves for symptoms. If developing symptoms, students and staff should stay at home until:
  • Fever-free without the use of medication for 72 hours
  • Experienced improvement of other symptoms 
  • 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

Parents Will be Notified as Soon as Reasonably Possible

• If their child has a fever of over 100.4 or other concerning symptoms.
• If their child has had direct contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

Cleaning

• Staff will have access to approved cleaning supplies if needed to sanitize their instructional areas during the day.  Following recommended cleaning procedures, classroom surfaces will be wiped down at the end of each day.  Hand sanitizer will be provided for each classroom. 
• Our custodial staff will work throughout the day disinfecting areas used by multiple students and a thorough cleaning will occur at the end of each school day.

Transportation

• People’s Transportation will disinfect and sanitize their busses daily. Students will be required to wear their masks on the school bus.

Visitors & Guests

• CCR3 values our parents and community members.  Visitors and guests will be allowed in our buildings during the 21-22 school year as long as they are not showing any symptoms. Make sure you check in at the office upon arrival. 

Social Distancing

• Flexible grouping will occur in our schools settings to meet instructional needs.
• Schools will utilize their spaces to encourage social distancing as much as possible.  

Special Accommodations

• Accomodations to this plan will be made if and when necessary or as mandated by a student’s Individualized Education Plan. 

Continuity of Services

• Interruptions of in-person learning: If it is determined in consultation with the Clinton County Health Department that our building needs to be closed, CCR3 will continue to offer distance/virtual learning opportunities to our students through a wide variety of platforms. This may also be available to students in lengthy quarantine situations. Students and staff will utilize electronic devices to conduct class through a variety of methods, including Zoom, Google Classroom, iXL, accelerated reader, Launch, and various other methods. In addition, some resources may be sent home and utilized to support learning. Elementary teachers will check-in with students through their online platforms. MS and HS students will meet daily with their teacher through Zoom or Google Meet/Classroom. Attendance will be expected daily in these classes. 

• Those families without internet access should communicate with their building to make arrangements. For those families who lack internet services, we provide them internet devices. We will also allow students to utilize our building during times of closure, in specific areas of the building with appropriate physical distancing. 

• Social, emotional, and mental health needs of students and staff: The disruption to the lives of staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic has made education more challenging. Since we have provided in-building learning during the past school year, and will continue to during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, students and staff are aware of opportunities to visit with counselors or other staff members to offer support and encouragement. Counseling sessions are always available for students in a one-on-one setting, both in our building, and also virtually if necessary. 

We will continue to utilize our At-Risk procedures and protocols to determine if there are students and/or families who are experiencing difficult situations. While it is impossible to determine the need for the upcoming school years, we will continue to support all students and staff through a wide variety of situations. 

• The district will review, and revise, if necessary, the SRCSP at least every six months.

• The district will consult students, families, administrators, and teachers during the review process.

• Stakeholders who are interested in receiving the SRCSP in a different language, should call district office staff at 816-539-2183.