Calvary Lutheran High School outlines re-entry plan

Calvary Lutheran High School at Jefferson City
Calvary Lutheran High School at Jefferson City

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Calvary Lutheran High School in Jefferson City released its fall re-entry plan Friday, which includes plans for many different scenarios.

School leaders collaborated with other Cole County schools and used guidance from the Cole County Health Department to create the plan, which could change before or after the semester begins.

"Please understand that, as better actionable information becomes known, our approach will change - perhaps before the school year begins and almost assuredly at some point during the school year," Executive Director John Christman wrote in a letter sent to families Friday.

The school has color-coded designations for how it will operate, including a green, yellow and red plan. Calvary will be in "green" status when there are no students or staff with an active COVID-19 case that has exposed the school community, and it will include in-person learning with safety procedures.

"Yellow" status is when a student or staff member has a positive COVID-19 case that has exposed the school community. Under yellow status, all students who haven't been exposed will attend in-person classes, and social distancing measures will be increased. Students who are quarantined will learn remotely.

"Red" status is when there is widespread school exposure and many students and staff members need to quarantine. All learning will be remote under red status.

"Calvary will communicate which status it is operating under as circumstances dictate," according to the document included with the letter that outlines the plan.

During all stages, there will be safety procedures such as temperature checks, increased sanitation, seating charts, regular hand-washing times, more computer technology to minimize contact of shared devices, hand sanitizer at the entrance of the building and outside every classroom, and HEPA air purifier with UV light technology in each classroom.

There will be a limit on large group interactions, and social distancing will be maintained as much as possible, the document states.

"Inside classrooms, we know it will be difficult to keep students 6 feet away from one another, just as it will be difficult for teachers to support students from 6 feet away," it states. "We will seek to maintain as much distance as possible in the building."

Everyone who enters the building will have their temperature checked, and those with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher will be sent home immediately or will be given a mask and moved to a designated area until they can be picked up, according to the plan.

Restrooms and classrooms will be sanitized regularly throughout the day, and students and staff will also be expected to clean and disinfect classroom surfaces. Drinking fountains will not be used, but refillable water bottle filling stations will be available. Seating charts will also be used to limit exposure and help the Cole County Health Department if contact tracing is required.

If Calvary is in green status, students will be seated facing forward, and group work time will be reduced to minimize exposure. Virtual instruction will be available as needed, according to the plan.

Public gatherings in green status will be held "with an emphasis on social distancing as much as possible," according to the plan. Visitors must complete a health screening, and deliveries must be dropped off in the entry to limit exposure. Face masks are permitted but not required.

Under yellow status, there will be increased classroom spacing, and group work will be limited to "designated individuals for a minimal amount of time," according to the plan. There will be increased virtual instruction as needed.

Face masks are encouraged but not required under yellow status. Only essential visitors will be allowed in the building, and they should call the school before their arrival. Events and games may be held with increased safety protocols, which could include limiting or prohibiting spectators, the document states.

Under red status, there will be no in-person instruction or events, and only essential personnel will be allowed in the building. Families may arrange for individual support, according to the plan.

Calvary has created plans for different scenarios, including if someone at the school shows COVID-19 symptoms, if someone is identified as a close contact of someone with a positive case and if there is a positive case at the school.

If a student or staff member at the school shows COVID-19 symptoms, they will be given a mask and moved to a designated area until they are able to leave. Areas that were occupied by a symptomatic person will be "discreetly disinfected," according to the plan. The symptomatic person will not be allowed to return until all symptoms have improved and they have a temperature of less than 100.4 for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Individuals with a temperature above 99 but below 100.4 will be rechecked throughout the day.

If a student or staff member is identified as a close contact of someone who has a positive COVID-19 case, the Cole County Health Department will order that person to quarantine at home for 14 days. Students who are quarantined will be expected to learn virtually, and virtual attendance counts toward course credit, according to the plan.

If a person who tests positive for COVID-19 has been in the school building, all families will be notified while keeping the identity of the person private, according to the plan. Any student or staff member who has contracted COVID-19 is expected to tell an administrator, and school will be dismissed within an hour of administration being notified.

Virtual instruction will begin the next day and continue until the Cole County Health Department completes contact tracing and the building has been sanitized. After the health department completes contact tracing, close contacts will be told to quarantine. Those not identified as close contacts may return to school, according to the plan.