Franklin County School District will return to a traditional schedule following the approved 2020-2021 school calendar. The first day of school is August 5, 2020. Our priorities are to provide a safe learning environment for all children and staff.

Franklin County Schools will focus on making student-centered decisions that are practical and feasible. District leadership will revisit the reopening plan frequently and regularly communicate with stakeholders if changes occur. Flexibility will be important as information related to

COVID-19 is constantly changing. Potential short-term and long-term school closure will be based on the level of risk as determined by the district leadership.

Information for parents will be communicated prior to the start of school and will be updated regularly through Facebook, district and school websites, and phone calls. Parents/guardians are responsible for making sure your child(ren)’s school has the current contact information.

For parents who do not wish for their child(ren) to return to the traditional school setting in August, a virtual learning option will be available. This option will require parents/guardians to abide by a learning contract to ensure accountability if virtual learning is chosen. The Franklin County School District encourages each parent/guardian to make the best decision for their child(ren).

Parents/guardians must register their child(ren) for virtual learning with the Virtual Learning team at Franklin County High School (back lobby-gym entrance) on Thursday, July 16, Friday, July 17, Monday, July 20, or Tuesday-July 21 from 9:00-5:00. Please contact Stanley Bean at stanley.bean@fcstn.net or Kim.Tucker@fcstn.net with questions.

Academic Instruction

Traditional Instruction

In-person daily instruction will be provided for all students while adhering to additional safety guidance related to group sizes, handwashing, and cleaning.

Desks will be arranged facing the same direction with as much space between them as possible.

Teachers will try to maintain six feet of spacing between themselves and students as much as possible.

Group work will be limited. If group work is used, student group sizes will be feasible and practical.

Instructional materials such as physical education equipment, school owned art supplies, etc., will be disinfected frequently.

Teachers will work with the building administration to determine the best instructional practices to implement while adhering to additional safety guidance.

Virtual Instruction - Virtual learning will be provided for families as an alternate option.

Franklin County Schools Virtual Learning Plan

Because virtual learning makes it difficult to allow the student to feel connected to their home school, classroom, and classmates, the social and emotional health of these students will be addressed through the regular inclusion of activities that allow them to remain a part of their school community. This will be done via Zoom or Google Meet sessions, videos of school events, and regular contact with a classroom teacher.

Google Classroom will be used as the learning management tool in Franklin County Schools for grades K-5. Courseware and Exact Path will be utilized for students in grades 6-12.

One licensed teacher per grade level/subject area will provide assignments for students enrolled in virtual learning. This instruction will mirror their in-person classroom instruction and pacing of Tennessee State Standards for that grade level or subject.

Instruction will be presented in a variety of ways, such as through brief video lectures, reading the instruction and completing tasks or projects, or face to face interactive instruction utilizing Zoom or Google Meet. District art, music, guidance counselor, librarian, and PE teachers will provide weekly tasks to supplement the core curriculum. While several hours will need to be devoted to virtual learning each day, most instruction and work can be completed on a flexible schedule.

Attendance will be taken daily and will be measured by a student’s completion of assignments generated by the teacher via Google Classroom or on-line programs. Assignments will post throughout the day based on the student’s schedule. Students may be required to complete and submit assignments in a variety of ways, including submitting photos or videos of completed tasks and participating in Zoom lessons weekly. Technical assistance will be available for this process as needed.

A resource page of virtual enrichment resources and activities will be created for each grade level by the district technology coordinator and shared with all students enrolled in the program. Activities for enrichment may be given from this content.

Parents and students will be provided with training options to assist in learning to use the necessary programs (Google Classroom, Clever, Skyward, iReady, Exact Path, etc.) These options will include both in-person and video conferences, as well as on-line tutorials developed by the district technology coordinator. The first week of the virtual program will be spent developing skills that will ensure success with the program and a good line of communication between students, parents, and teachers.

Activities to help virtual learners feel connected to their in-school peers will be included in the program.

A district Virtual Learning Coordinator will oversee the program and will be available to address needs of families enrolled in virtual learning. Regular updates will be provided to keep everyone informed, and to create clear and consistent communication with families.

Questions about the program can be emailed to kim.tucker@fcstn.net.

A Virtual Learning FAQ page will be utilized on the Franklin County Schools website to address frequently asked questions and their answers.

Student Supports

Attendance modifications and virtual support will be provided to accommodate immunocompromised students or others who may be at an increased risk of infection.

Staff/faculty members working closely with any medically fragile students will be required to wear PPE.

Meetings with parents/guardians will be conducted at the school level to determine specific supports for each student’s unique needs.

Operations

Visitors

Visitors to buildings during normal operating hours will be limited to the office area.

If the building administration determines it is necessary for a visitor to enter the building beyond the office area, the visitor(s) must undergo a temperature check.

Visitor(s) with a temperature at or above 99.80 will be asked to leave the school immediately.

Custodial Services

Enhanced daily and weekly cleaning protocols will be implemented.

Additional disinfecting will be done frequently during the day.

Extended School Program

Continue extended school programs at the elementary sites.

Follow enhanced cleaning and safety protocols.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities and gatherings are allowed.

After-school programs are allowed.

The status of extracurricular activities may change as determined by the state/local governance, Tn Department of Education, state/local health department, and TSSAA.

Health Services

Hand-sanitizer will be available in all classrooms and common spaces.

Personal hygiene practices are encouraged.

The school nurse will assist with the daily staff/faculty and student temperature checks.

School Nutrition

Meal service will continue with additional safety procedures.

Students, staff and faculty members will wash hands before and after every meal.

If possible, classrooms should be used for eating.

Students may bring food from home.

Students are encouraged not to share food, drinks, water bottles, etc.

Cafeteria meals will be served through the serving areas using disposable trays and utensils.

Serving lines will be sanitized after each lunch shift.

Spaced seating and alternate eating locations will be arranged to limit group sizes where feasible.

Parents/guardians will not be allowed to eat with students until further notice.

Students will use disposable cups or their own water bottles at the water fountains.

Transportation

Parents are encouraged to drop-off and pick-up students to lower bus capacity.

Drivers will assign one student per seat for social distancing purposes where feasible and practical and adjust seating throughout the route.

Seating with family members will be encouraged.

Buses will be cleaned daily.

Training on new procedures and cleaning protocols will be conducted with the drivers and owners.

Windows should be open when possible and conditions allow.

Student/Parent Daily Responsibilities

Keep your child home if they are sick.

Parents are encouraged to check the temperature of their child each morning before coming to school.

If a child has a fever of 100.40 or higher, the child must stay home and a

COVID-19 test should be considered if there is no other explanation for the fever.

If a child has a fever, including a low-grade fever, parents are encouraged not to provide the child with fever reducing medication and send them to school.

A positive COVID-19 test will require the infected student to self-quarantine for 14 days and provide a medical release prior to returning to school.

Remind your student to wash their hands regularly, especially when returning home from school.

Remind your student to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.

Encourage your student to use hand sanitizer that is available in each school.

Encourage your student to only use their own supplies and materials.

Encourage your student not to share food and to only use their own water bottle.

Tell your student to notify his or her teacher if they begin to feel sick while at school and to visit the school nurse.

Encourage your child to socially distance where feasible and practical in the school setting.

Monitor your child for cough, congestion, shortness of breath or other COVID-19 symptoms. If symptoms are present, the child must stay home from school.

Health and Safety Preventative Measures

Students/staff/faculty members must remain home if they are sick

Daily temperature checks will be conducted at all schools each morning on all students, faculty, staff, volunteers, substitutes, and administrators.

Students with a fever between 99.80 - 100.30 during the morning temperature check, or at any time during the day, will be required to put on a mask and go to the quarantine room/area.

The student’s temperature will be rechecked after 1 hour. If the fever is

100.4 or higher, the student will be required to go home. If the fever is between 99.80 - 100.30, the parent will be contacted for further guidance. If the fever is no longer present, the student will be sent to class.

Faculty/staff members will be sent home immediately.

Students with a fever of 100.40 or higher during the morning temperature check, or at any time during the day, will be required to put on a mask and go to the quarantine room/area until he/she is picked by the parent/guardian. Faculty/staff members will be sent home immediately.

Parents/guardians MUST pick the child up from school if the child has a fever.

COVID-19 testing should be considered if there is no other explanation for the fever.

A positive COVID-19 test will require the infected student/staff/faculty

member to self-quarantine for 14 days and receive a medical release prior to returning to school.

Students sent home from school because of a fever must be kept home until they are without a fever of 100.40 or higher for at least 3 days (72 hours) without the use of fever reducing medications.

All screenings will comply with ADA and HIPAA confidentiality requirements.

Hand-sanitizer will be available in all classrooms.

Additional disinfecting will be done throughout all buildings during the day.

Desks will be disinfected during passing time (middle school and high school).

Face coverings are encouraged but not required. No inappropriate content will be displayed on the face coverings. FCS will not provide face coverings.

Signage will be posted in all buildings encouraging frequent handwashing and social distancing.

A hands-off policy (touching, pushing, hitting other students, even if playing) will be enforced.

A quarantine room/area will be set-up for students who become ill while at school.

Parents/Visitors will be restricted to the office area. The building administration will allow parents/visitors in the building on a case-by-case basis for extenuating reasons.

Teachers, including substitute teachers, and staff will be trained on the procedures for cleaning, social distancing expectations, and protocols for handling anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19.

Protocols

Protocols for a student/staff/faculty member in the school who receives a positive test for COVID-19.

The employee who has received a positive report should notify the most immediate administrator/supervisor as soon as possible, then the employee must notify the HR Supervisor (email or phone). The HR Supervisor will advise the employee.

The student/staff/faculty member with a positive COVID-19 test will be required to self-quarantine (stay at home, no or very little contact with others, for 14 days) and provide a medical release prior to returning to school.

School administrators will notify other staff/faculty members and parents as needed maintaining confidentiality in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and HIPPA.

The classroom or areas exposed will be cleaned and disinfected as soon as possible.

Classmates should be closely monitored for any symptoms. At this time, testing of all students in the class is not recommended; only those who develop symptoms should be tested.

Procedures for a student/staff/faculty member with someone in their household who has received a positive COVID-19.

The student/staff/faculty member must immediately notify the building administration if a member of his/her household receives a positive COVID-19 test result.

After the employee has notified the most immediate administrator/supervisor, the employee must notify the HR Supervisor (email or phone). The HR Supervisor will advise the employee.

The student/staff/faculty member will not be allowed to return to school for a minimum of 14 calendar days. After the quarantine is complete, the parent of the student should contact the principal before returning to school. Employees should contact the HR Supervisor. At this time, an individual is typically deemed to be safe after three consecutive days of no symptoms and no medications.

Procedures for a student/staff/faculty member who is exposed to someone who has received a positive COVID-19 test.

Exposure is considered being in close contact, within 6 feet, of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 10 minutes or longer.

The student/staff/faculty member must immediately report to the building administration if they have been exposed to someone with a positive COVID-19 test. After the employee has notified their most immediate administrator/supervisor, the employee must notify the HR Supervisor (email or phone). The HR Supervisor will advise the employee.

Depending on specific circumstances, the student/staff/faculty member may be advised to:

Wear a mask while at school.

Monitor for symptoms.

If symptoms are present, self-quarantine for 14 days.