Williamson County Schools (WCS) has published an updated framework for reopening school campuses for the 2020-2021 school year.
Last month, WCS gathered feedback from State and local health departments, medical professionals, emergency management, special education parents, parent organization presidents, teacher organization leadership, and business leaders. Almost 23,000 parents participated in a survey gauging their comfort level of having their children return to school campuses.
While on-campus learning is the goal for WCS, they recognize that many families have concerns about returning to school. Therefore, they will offer on-campus and online learning.
“We believe that for most students, on-campus school is the best instructional option. While many families look forward to an on-campus return to school, others prefer to keep their children home during this pandemic due to the risk that will accompany any on-campus program. Recognizing those concerns, we plan to provide instruction on our school campuses, and we will be offering the WCS Online Program as an option for families this school year,” writes WCS Superintendent Jason Golden.
In-Person or Remote Schooling?
The number of ACTIVE cases in Williamson County will determine what type of instruction occurs. The framework uses Williamson County’s population of 238,412 to determine if there is low, medium or high spread.
Normal School Operations
(0 Active COVID-19 Cases)
• All students in school or online based on parent choice.
• Parents and students follow Self-screening Protocol.
• Continue emphasizing good hygiene along with building cleaning.
• Continued monitoring of reportable illnesses by coordinated school
health/nursing staff.
• Emphasize handwashing before and after classes/activities utilizing
soap/water along with hand sanitizer.
• 0 cases of COVID in community.
Low Community Spread
(Less than 0.5% of positive COVID-19 active cases, which means fewer than 1,192 active cases)
• All students in school on-campus or online based on parent preference.
• Parents and students follow Self-screening Protocol.
• Continue emphasizing good hygiene along with building cleaning.
• Continued monitoring of reportable illnesses by coordinated school
health/nursing staff/Williamson County Health Department.
• Emphasize handwashing before and after classes/activities utilizing
soap/water along with hand sanitizer.
• Social distancing will be used in buildings and buses when feasible. The
recommended social distance shall be used in areas of mass gathering.
• A cloth or disposable face covering must be worn by all students, staff and
visitors while on school property except as follows:
-when an individual cannot safely wear a cloth or disposable face
covering
-while eating and drinking
-while indoors and maintaining social distancing, at the direction of
WCS staff
-while outdoors and maintaining social distancing, at the direction of
WCS staff
• Staff, students and visitors will be screened prior to building entry in
accordance with CDC recommendations.
• Follow CDC’s guidance for quarantine (recommendation to stay home until
14 days after last exposure for someone who has had close contact with a
person with COVID-19).
• Each reported or confirmed case will be evaluated, and the need for school
closure will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• Fewer than 0.5% of County population (fewer than 1,192 active cases).
Medium Community Spread
(Between 0.5% to 1% Active COVID-19 Cases, which means between 1,192 – 2,384 active cases)
• Early childhood, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first and second grades
will receive on-campus instruction.
• Grades 3-12 will receive remote instruction with groups of students on
campus for small group instruction as scheduled by each school.
• Special education teachers will provide students with disabilities access to
instruction in a manner consistent with each student’s individualized
education plan (IEP) which may include socially distant, on-campus
instruction as appropriate.
• Parents and students follow Self-screening Protocol.
• Continue emphasizing good hygiene along with building cleaning.
• Continued monitoring of reportable illnesses by coordinated school
health/nursing staff.
• Emphasize handwashing before and after classes/activities utilizing
soap/water along with hand sanitizer.
• A cloth or disposable face covering must be worn by all students, staff and
visitors while on school property except as follows:
-when an individual cannot safely wear a cloth or disposable face
covering
-while eating and drinking
11
-while indoors and maintaining social distancing, at the direction of
WCS staff
-while outdoors and maintaining social distancing, at the direction of
WCS staff
• Educational and mass gathering spaces shall be socially distanced for
students.
• Staff, students and visitors will be screened prior to building entry.
• Between 0.5% to 1% of County population (between 1,192 to 2,384 active
cases). WCS will consult with the Health Department and evaluate the need
to close any school building or the school district at the Medium level. WCS
student and staff attendance rates will also be evaluated.
High Community Spread
(Greater than 1% Active COVID-19 Cases, which means more than 2,384 active cases)
• Remote instruction for all students.
• Students and staff will be allowed in the building under rare circumstances
as deemed necessary by the principal.
• Continue emphasizing good hygiene along with building cleaning.
• Continued monitoring of reportable illnesses by coordinated school health/
nursing staff/Williamson County Health Department.
• A cloth or disposable face covering must be worn by all students, staff and
visitors while on school property except as follows:
-when an individual cannot safely wear a cloth or disposable face
covering
-while eating and drinking
-while indoors and maintaining social distancing, at the direction of
WCS staff
-while outdoors and maintaining social distancing, at the direction of
WCS staff
• Staff, students and visitors will be screened prior to building entry.
• Greater than 1% of County population (more than 2,384 active cases). WCS
will consult with the Health Department and evaluate the need to close any
school building or the school district at the High level. WCS student and
staff attendance rates will also be evaluated.
Click here to learn more.
How WCS Will Respond to Reported, Positive COVID-19 Case of WCS Student/Staff Member
The basic response to a reported, positive case:
• School/district will request reporting party produce any available
confirmation.
• A decision will be made regarding a school building closure to allow for
sanitization, based on the information provided by the reporting party as to
time, exposure to others, etc., applying those facts to Health Department
guidance.
• If the building is closed, parents will be notified through the WCS
phone/email notification system.
• If the building is closed, students will shift to remote instruction
immediately.
• WCS will assist the Williamson County Health Department with contact
tracing as requested and needed. Students and parents should follow
quarantine advice given by Health Department.
• After sanitization, students and staff not quarantined by a medical
professional will be able to return to school.
• Students missing school for COVID-19 quarantine will be excused from
school and provided instruction through the quarantine period through
their Learning Management System.
There may be times when some schools shift to remote instruction while others
continue on-campus instruction.
WCS will consult with the Health Department and evaluate the need to close any
school building or the school district at the Medium and High levels on the WCS
COVID-19 Community Spread Metric. WCS student and staff attendance rates will
also be evaluated.
Click here to read the framework in its entirety.
