Cy-Fair ISD: What you need to know about the district’s 2020-2021 school plans

Cy-Fair ISD has finalized its reopening plan for the upcoming school year.

The district has announced social distancing and safety measures it plans to implement in its schools upon students’ return.

CFISD has also outlined what its available instruction methods will look like as well as how to make a selection for your student(s).

Here’s what to know so far:

Calendar

The first day of school is now scheduled for Sept. 8, 2020.

The last day of school is scheduled for June 3 with weekdays from June 7 to 30 reserved as closure make-up days in case additional days will be needed due to COVID-19 or other natural disasters.

Click here to view the 2020-2021 school calendar.

Measures underway or being considered

Masks

• Students in grades PK-12 and all staff will wear face masks on buses, hallways, common areas, and when social distancing is not feasible, including in classrooms, to the extent it is developmentally appropriate.
• Face masks must meet the “Student Code of Conduct” and dress code requirements.
• Students will be provided a face mask, if needed.
• Teachers will be provided a face mask, if needed, and a face shield.

Social Distancing

• Students will be distanced from one another in classrooms, hallways, and common areas to the extent feasible.
• Teacher desks will have plexiglass desk shields, and student desk and table shields will be used when distancing of desks and tables are not feasible.
• Each campus will develop systems for reducing the congregation of students in common areas, such as, but not limited to:
  • Staggering the loading/unloading of buses
  • Using other areas of the building, courtyards or outside for large group classes and lunch periods when feasible
  • Increasing the number of lunch periods when possible
  • Staggering class dismissals
  • Creating one-way hallways and staircases
  • Holding student activities outside when feasible (for example, physical education as weather permits)
• Campuses will ensure there are enough school supplies to eliminate the need for students sharing supplies. In the event school supplies must be shared, for example in art class, the supplies will be sanitized after each use.

Health and Safety Protocols

Prevention

• If a parent drops off/picks up a student in the school, the screening questions will be asked of the student’s parent.
• Students at school who show symptoms of COVID-19 will be evaluated by the nurse. The nurse will determine whether that child can remain at school.
• The clinic will have an isolation area identified for suspected COVID-19 cases and be equipped with air purification systems. In addition, physical barriers, such as partitions, screens, or curtains may be utilized to establish separate areas for sick and well visits.
• Areas used by the individual with COVID-19 symptoms will be sanitized as soon as it is feasible.
• Before a student or staff member may return to school, established criteria must be met as stated in the “Students Return to School Protocol” and “Staff Return to Duty Protocol”.

Mitigation

• Campuses have soap dispensers in all restrooms and hand sanitizer dispensers in all classrooms and building and cafeteria entrances.
• Students and staff will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer at the beginning and end of each class period and throughout the day.
• Students and staff will be encouraged to wash hands frequently.
• Water fountains will be restricted from use as drinking fountains but may be used to fill water bottles. Additionally, water bottle filling stations will be installed at all schools.
• Students, staff and parents will be educated on health and safety protocols and good hygiene practices, including frequent and thorough handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and social distancing to the extent feasible, using the district and campus websites, social media, email, building signs and classroom lessons with videos.
• All classrooms will be provided with an alcohol-based sanitizer spray and paper towels for sanitizing desks and technology.
• Students, as feasible and developmentally appropriate, at the end of each class period will wipe down their desks, then throw the paper towels in the trash can.
• At the beginning of each class, students may request additional sanitizing spray and paper towels.
• High-touch surfaces, toys and manipulatives should be sanitized between use or at the end of each class period.
• Restrooms will be disinfected with a hospital-grade/EPA-registered disinfectant by custodians throughout the day and as needed.
• The cafeteria will be disinfected with a hospital-grade/EPA-registered disinfectant after each lunch period. Students will throw their trash away.
• Gyms and locker rooms will be sanitized between classes by custodians with assistance from teachers and coaches.
• Staff are expected to clean and sanitize their workspaces before and after use.

Transportation

• Students must register to ride the school bus by Tuesday, Aug. 25 to be scheduled for bus service on the first day of school, Tuesday, Sept. 8.
• Students must wear a face mask on buses. A disposable mask will be provided in the morning if a student does not have one.
• Students must sanitize their hands upon entering the bus.
• When feasible and weather permitting, windows and roof vents will be opened to allow for additional airflow and ventilation throughout buses.
• Drivers will spray disinfecting solution and wipe down seats, handrails and high-touch areas after each run or as frequently as possible.
• Buses and vehicles will be fogged with disinfecting solution following afternoon routes.

Meals

• In addition to daily health screening and face masks, nutrition services staff will wear gloves during meal preparation and service, and cashiers will wear a face shield.
• Social distancing will be maintained between students and employees as much as feasible.
• Menu items will be limited, including condiments, and there will not be a la carte food options.• For breakfast, students will be offered grab and go service.
• For lunch, students will pick up meals in the cafeteria serving lines, and access to lines will be controlled to limit the number of students in line at any time.
• To reduce the number of surfaces the students will be touching, there will not be self-service menu options.
• Serving lines will be sanitized frequently.
• Students and parents will be encouraged to use School Café to make payments on accounts.
• Cash received from students will be placed in the student’s account. To reduce contact, no change will be given.
• No student use of pin pads.
• Students may be directed to eat in various locations throughout the building to maximize social distancing.
• Curbside meals for students who choose the CFISD Connect learning option, will adhere to health and safety protocols which will be communicated specifically to these students and families.

Visitors

• Visitors should make an appointment to meet with campus staff. If at all possible, the meeting will be held virtually. If a virtual meeting is not possible, only the person who makes the appointment may attend the in-person meeting to limit the number of visitors to the school at one time.
• All visitors (non-students or non-staff) must wear a face mask and answer health screening questions before being allowed on a campus.
• If a visitor answers a question unsatisfactorily, they will not be allowed on campus until specific criteria are met.
• Campuses will develop and communicate procedures for drop-off of items for students.
• Lunch visitors will not be allowed during the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year and will be reevaluated prior to the second semester.
• Volunteers are a vital part of our schools; however, for the 2020-2021 school year, specific volunteer programs may be suspended and will be communicated by each campus in order to limit visitors on campus.

Instruction methods offered

Cy-Fair ISD will offer face-to-face and virtual instruction for the upcoming school year.

Face-to-face

Students report daily to their campus during established school hours and engage in face-to-face instruction, according to their schedule and the CFISD instructional calendar.

Virtual

Students remain at home daily during established school hours and engage in two-way, real-time, live virtual instruction, and teacher-directed lessons and activities, according to their schedule and the CFISD instructional calendar.

Daily attendance is taken during scheduled time(s) and connected to daily student progress as a part of the CFISD Connect plan. A student will be counted absent if the student does not have documented engagement.

Students who select CFISD Connect as their learning option must remain until the end of a grading period.

Survey

Parents are able to make a learning model selection in Home Access Center.

The deadline to make a selection is Wednesday, Aug. 5. Changes to the initial selection may be made up until two weeks prior to the first day of school, or Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Recent updates

Do you have questions about Cy-Fair ISD’s plan?

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