HAMILTON
COUNTY
SCHOOLS

A Level 5 School District

 

Reopenin Tskforoe

HomilTon Coun?ry Schools

 

May 21, 2020 Board Mee?ring

Hamilton County Schools
Will Be the Best School
District in Tennessee.

 


COUNTY
SCH 

School Board Goals - Future Ready 2023

Ensure a safe, clean, and
orderly environment that
promotes learning in all
schools.
3

 Address
Critical Role
of the
Schools in
Hamilton
County
● Teachers
● School Leaders

Nutrition
Transportation
Technology
School Maintenance &
Custodial Services
● School Aged Child Care
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●
●

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School Health/Nursing
SEL
Exceptional Ed
School Counseling &
Social Work

4

 Reopen Plan Components
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▪
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▪
▪

Communicate Reopening Guiding Principles
Address Critical Role of Schools in Hamilton County
Learn from HCS Continued Learning Operating Model
Build Trust by Ensuring Safety
Establish Baseline Reopening Phases

5

 Reopening Guiding Principles
▪ Minimizing risks to public health
– Focus on student, teachers and employees
– Understand and manage the increased risks for older and
immune compromised teachers and students
– Alignment to state and county health department
recommendations, as well as CDC guidance

▪ Addressing impacts on students’ learning and well being
– Skill gaps created by uneven remote learning
– Social emotional support
6

 Reopening Guiding Principles
▪ Recognizing schools’ importance to the community
– Safety, stability, food security and social development

▪ Optimizing operational readiness
– Effective health and safety measures to mitigate the risk of
infection
– Ensuring we are prepared for:
o
o
o
o

Infrastructure needs
Budget challenges
Aligning supply chain with mitigation needs
Building policies, and culture to operate safely
7

 Address the Critical Role of Schools
With input from students, families, and employees, we must
consider if - and to what extent - school closure:
▪ Leads to learning loss
▪ Exacerbates inequities
▪ Contributes to economic decline

When reopening, HCS anticipates:
▪ A high demand for mental health and social emotional supports
for students, families, employees
▪ A potential influx in enrollment of students previously attending
tuition-based schools
8

 Learn from HCS Continued Learning
Lessons Learned:
▪ Operations must be flexible and adaptive
–

HCS quickly adjusted its nutrition operation to efficiently and sustainably
feed students throughout the school closure, including Spring Break

▪ Digital access is a non-negotiable
–

Eight weeks of HCS Continued Learning revealed that universal wifi and
one-to-one devices for all students are prerequisites to success in a remote
learning format

▪ Clear, frequent communication is key
–

Weekly PBS spots, English & Spanish Help Hotlines, a Tech Help Hotline,
nightly communications to employees, and standing meetings proved
invaluable to all stakeholders during the current school closure
9

 Build Trust by Ensuring Safety
HCS will ensure student and employee safety by:
▪
▪
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Complying with state and local orders when reopening facilities
Implementing best practices
Offering options to students and employees at higher risk
Monitoring health and safety actions, including:
–
–
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Screening students and employees upon arrival, limiting visitors & vendors
Promoting healthy hygiene practices, and increasing cleaning & disinfecting
Training all students and employees on safety protocols

▪ Encouraging anyone exhibiting symptoms to stay home
▪ Respond & communicate rapidly if there are cases in a school facility
10

 CDC Guidance
HCS Continued
Learning
opportunities should
be provided for
higher-risk students,
and those with
vulnerable family
members, as well as
alternative work
options for employees
at higher risk.

11

 Risk based decision making
Establish criteria
and parameters
for risk-based
decisions
regarding entry
into, exit from,
and movement
between baseline
phases.

12

 Baseline Reopening Phases
Phase 1: Risk of spreading of COVID-19 is significant. Requires
Significant Mitigation.
Potential Scenarios: All schools closed, HCS Continued Learning opportunities
provided for all students. Plan to support students well-being and academic
development for an extended period of time.

Phase 2: Risk of spreading COVID-19 is moderate. Requires Moderate
Mitigation.
Potential Scenarios: Possible reduced on-campus school hours with focus on
core-curriculum classes. Blended HCS Continued Learning provided, portion of
curriculum taught through remote learning.
13

 Baseline Reopening Phases
Phase 3: Risk of spreading COVID-19 is minimal.
Requires Minimal Mitigation.
Potential Scenarios: All schools open, with majority of curriculum delivered on
campus. Short term closure procedures implemented for COVID-19 affected
buildings and HCS Continued Learning practices are provided.

Phase 4: No risk of community transmission of COVID-19. Requires No
Mitigation.
Potential Scenarios: All schools open. Monitor and be prepared to react to
identification of COVID-19 positive that affects staff members or students.

14

 Task Force Members
▪
▪
▪
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School Board Chair or designee
County Commission Chair or designee
Health professionals
Parents
Teachers
Students
Administrators
Community Members (Business, Non-profit, etc.)

*Continual contact and input provided by school board
15

 Next Steps
▪ Define specifics of each phase with Department Leaders:
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Operations
Teaching and Learning
Student Supports
Budget and Personnel

▪ Communication and Community Engagement
– Survey stakeholder groups
– Predictable, regular communication during planning phase
– Operational plan by early July

16

 Hamilton County Schools
Will Be the Best School
District in Tennessee.

 


COUNTY
SCH