Updated July 23, 2020

General Staff Return to Work Timelines

Phase I: June 1 - July 3

• Schedule - 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (30-minute lunch)
• Monday-Thursday (Closed on Fridays)

Campus/department supervisors and employees coordinate remote and in-office expectations to meet district needs. Employees adhering to the summer work schedule who take a personal/non-work leave day will utilize 1.25 days.

All district schools and offices will be closed the week of June 29-July 3. Any request to access district facilities MUST be approved by the Superintendent. No custodial services will be available that week.

Some exceptions to the summer hours are employees working summer programs which require five days for attendance funding or as designated by their supervisor for project completion. Please address any questions or concerns for your individual situation to your direct supervisor.

Phase II: July 6 - 31

• Schedule - 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (30-minute lunch)
• Monday-Thursday (Closed on Fridays)

All 'On Contract' employees are expected to return to in-office work. Employees adhering to the summer work schedule who take a personal/non-work leave day will utilize 1.25 days. Individuals should not be in the buildings on Fridays when custodial staff will not be cleaning. Staff should also be clear of the building by 6 p.m. for cleaning during scheduled work days. There are exceptions for Board Meetings or with Superintendent approval only. Please address any questions or concerns for your individual situation to your direct supervisor.

SKYWARD – True Time clock-in stations are to be utilized starting July 6, 2020

SUMMER DRESS CODE

Summer (June, July) attire may include jeans, tennis shoes, sandals and Red Oak ISD spirit/T-shirts. However, staff are required to follow professional business dress expectations for official district functions including Board Meetings, meetings with City/Chamber leaders, interviews, etc.

Phase III: August 3 - 7

• Schedule - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (60-minute lunch)
• Monday-Friday

All 'On Contract' employees are expected to return to in-office work. All district functions return to normal operations, pending TEA/local guidance. Please address any questions or concerns for your individual situation to your direct supervisor.

New Teacher: August 5 – 7

• Schedule - 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  
• Wednesday – Optional Work in Classroom, Select Staff attending Dual Language Training
• Thursday and Friday - All new staff will report to campuses for small group new staff training.

Phase IV: August 10 – 19

• Schedule – ESC – 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (60-minute lunch)
  • Campuses – Follow Campus Schedule
  • Monday – Friday

All staff will report to campuses for small group staff training and beginning of the year preparation.

Phase V: August 20

• Students Return

Updated August 5, 2020

The safety and well-being of all staff is a priority for Red Oak ISD. Red Oak ISD is complying with federal, state, and local directives on social distancing, screening measures, intensified cleaning and disinfection measures, added personal protective equipment, as well as numerous other district procedures. The new protocols and practices are designed to ensure the safety of each employee and our guests.

General Information

• Facial coverings required for all district staff 
• Facial coverings required for students in grades Pre-K through 12 - PreK-3 may remove their mask when working at their desk
• Parents/visitors are requested to conduct district visits by phone, virtual or by pre-scheduled appointment; any visitor to campus will be subject to a health screening
• Students, teachers, staff, and essential campus visitors will be encouraged to sanitize and/or wash hands frequently
• Sneeze Guards will be added to office reception desks
• CDC-approved social distancing and safety signage will be added and visible throughout school facilities
• ROISD will continually remind and instruct students on appropriate hygiene practices and other mitigation practices
• Desks and/or tables will be socially distanced as much as instructionally possible
• Campuses will implement strategies to transition students throughout the building to minimize exposure
• No large group gatherings or events will be held during the instructional day
• ROISD will suspend use of ROISD facilities to any and all outside groups
• All ROISD staff will be trained in COVID 19 safety mitigation protocols 
• All staff and students will be required to participate in a temperature screening prior to entering campus 

Face Coverings

Schools are required to comply with the current Governor’s executive order regarding the wearing of face coverings. In addition to the Governor’s executive order, TEA has provided school districts with guidance that can require the use of face coverings for adults or students for whom it is developmentally appropriate.  ROISD Return to Learn protocols require the following in regard to the wearing of face coverings until further notice:

• All staff are required to wear facial coverings while in classrooms, common spaces, and when social distancing cannot occur outdoors
• Facial coverings required for students in grades Pre-K through 12 - PreK-3 may remove their mask when working at their desk.
• All face coverings should meet the guidelines as outlined in the ROISD Dress Menu
• Facial coverings shall appropriately cover the nose and mouth

Employee Health Protocols

• All staff are required to complete a daily self-screening for symptoms prior to arriving to school or boarding school transportation
• All staff and students will be required to participate in a temperature screening prior to entering campus 
• Staff are expected to clean and sanitize workspace before and after use
• Staff are encouraged to use hand sanitizer when entering buildings and throughout the day
• Staff will social distance with as much separation as feasible during the instructional day 
• Staff are encouraged to bring disposable items to school each day (i.e. water bottles, home-prepared lunches) to limit the possible spread
• All staff must practice appropriate hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and social distancing
• Avoid person-to-person contact, such as shaking hands
• Shared standard office equipment is discouraged
• Individuals are responsible for sanitizing communal equipment, such as copiers, before and after each use.

Cleaning Practices 

• Campuses are cleaned throughout the instructional day with an emphasis on cleaning high traffic and multiple touch areas, including door handles, restrooms, large group transition areas, and cafeterias between meals
• Hand sanitizer stations are located in multiple areas throughout the campus
• Signage for proper hygiene practices is visibly posted at multiple locations throughout each campus

Updated July 31. 2020

For the health and safety of all students and staff, all staff are mandated to conduct a daily self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms before arriving at work.

ROISD COVID Self-Screening Assessment

Each employee should check their temperature and determine if they have any of the following new or worsening signs or symptoms of possible COVID-19. No individual should enter the facility if they present any of the following symptoms:

• New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (or, a chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)
• New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
• Sore throat
• Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
• Temperature of 100.4°F or higher when taken by mouth

Do you currently have any of the above mention symptoms? YES or NO

Have you had known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19 in the last 14 days? YES or NO

Close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 is defined as:

1. being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or
2. being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes;

If either occurred at any time in the last 14 days at the same time the infected individual was infectious.

If you answer YES to either of the two questions you are NOT to enter any ROISD facility.

Please contact your health provider, if needed, and notify your supervisor regarding your absence. For staff members who are ill, existing local sick time policies and state and federal regulations related to sick time continue to apply.

Updated July 23. 2020

Meetings

The building is only open to employees and by appointment for guests, including interviews. Any face-to-face meetings should be held in the largest available room.

If meetings are approved, the following should be followed:

• In-person attendees are required to wear face masks
• Attendees sit at a minimum of 6 ft. away from one another
• Tables and surfaces should be wiped down with sanitizing products at the start and end of each meeting

All other meetings should be held by phone or virtually, if possible, including meetings with vendors/external parties and large groups. Teams are encouraged to continue the use of electronic media to conduct group meetings.

Congregating in Groups

DO NOT congregate in common areas, hallways, break rooms, etc.

• Social Distancing is required in all areas, at all times
• Stay 6 ft. from other people - be courteous to another individual’s space.
• Use your office phone to contact another employee instead of meeting face-to-face.
• Make room to pass at doorways, hallways, etc.
• Limit your physical contact of surfaces in common areas.
• All social gatherings are canceled at this time.

Lunch

Prepare to eat your lunch and snacks in your classroom, office area or off-site. Refrain from using the common staff lounges or conference rooms and practice social distancing during lunch as eating is a high-spread activity. Please refrain from having food deliveries to the building. Refrain from sharing food, potlucks, and/or celebrations requiring groups to gather.

Updated July 23. 2020

Visitors

The building is only open to employees and by appointment for guests, including interviews. School systems should restrict visits in schools to only those essential to school operations.

Parents/visitors are requested to conduct district visits by phone, virtual, or by pre-scheduled appointments. Any visitor to campus will be subject to health screening. During these visits, parents and other visitors must follow the virus prevention and mitigation requirements of the school.

Visitor Screening

• Please plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to the appointment time.
• Upon arrival, you will need to complete health questions and a temperature check will be conducted.

Entrances

Barriers will be established at the front desk/receiving area and chairs have been adjusted for 6 ft. distancing. Please do not move seating. All guests must enter through the main entrance.  

Vendors / Deliveries

All district deliveries will continue to be directed to ESC and resume normal operations to campuses as of August 3. Campus deliveries are sorted by campus and delivered to the campus by district staff or picked up by campus staff. Department mail will be placed in the mailroom and packages are identified in the main foyer.  

Updated July 23. 2020

Travel Guidelines

CDC recommends that travelers avoid all non-essential travel to Level 3 destinations. As of July 20, this includes Brazil, China, Iran, most European Countries, United Kingdom and Ireland.

CDC typically posts travel health notices for countries, however, because of the unprecedented nature of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and the increased risk of transmission of COVID-19 on cruise ships, there is also a Level 3 for US travelers to defer all cruise travel.  Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on several cruise ships.

Updates are posted at CDC: Coronavirus Travel Guidelines website.

If a staff member has traveled to any of the destinations provided in the CDC Travel Health Notice he/she will also be required to submit documentation of travel (ex. plane ticket) to his/her supervisor and self-quarantine for 14 calendar days. Affected staff members will also need to apply for EFML (Emergency Family Medical Leave).

If the employee begins to exhibit symptoms, please refer to COVID Scenarios

District Travel

• Out-of-District travel for professional development, conferences, or meetings should be limited and requires Cabinet approval. If approved, an employee may be allowed to attend an in-person conference or training if:
  • Attendance is legally required
  • Attendance is required for the employee to maintain licensure or certification
  • State and local travel restrictions/guidelines are followed

• In-District travel and facility visits should be limited to essential. Essential is defined as job/responsibility that cannot be accomplished through alternate means or methods.

• Field Trips are not being scheduled at this time.

• International travel is discouraged during the COVID pandemic.

Updated July 23. 2020

All Red Oak ISD staff will be returning to work at their effective start date.

Staff Absences

If the staff COVID Scenarios do not apply to a sick employee, he/she will be required to follow all existing local or state sick time policies. State and federal regulations related to sick time continue to apply.

Employees of school systems, like employees of any organization, must continue to meet the work expectations set by their employers. If an employee chooses not to return to work or perform duties as required by the District, then the employee will be required to use their available personal leave. Following normal district policy, the district can also discipline an employee who refuses to work when the district is open.

For staff members who are quarantined or self-isolating but not ill, the district will determine if those staff members are able and approved to work remotely.

If an employee is going to be out for more than three days with a medical certification, he/she would need to apply for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) with the Benefits and Leave Coordinator, Maricela Torres, and provide medical certification.

Virtual Learning

The Texas Education Agency's most recent “Public Health Planning Guidance” document outlines basic guidelines for a safe return to in-person instruction for the 2020-2021 school year. As this document states: “There will almost certainly be situations that necessitate temporary school closure due to positive COVID-19 cases in schools. Parents, educators, and school administrators should be prepared for this in the event that it occurs, while actively working to prevent it through prevention and mitigation practices”. 

Intermittent School to Home
Should there be a need to temporarily close a class or school due to COVID-19, teachers will instruct virtual classes via Canvas and/or Google Classroom, pending the return to campus. Home internet and device access are required for virtual learning. ROISD plans to implement a 1 to 1 device initiative for students that do not have a device or internet access to use at home. Also, extracurricular and student programs will be temporarily suspended during a campus closure. 

If you are unavailable to work the scheduled workday, you will still need to receive approval from your supervisor and place an absence on AESOP or Skyward per district policy. If you are taking a personal or sick day, please make sure to notify parents that you will be unavailable that day.

Child Care

If a staff member’s child care facility is closed and he/she is the only possible caregiver:

• The first 2 weeks (10 days) of leave are unpaid, but an employee may use accrued paid leave.
• The employee will need to apply for EFML with the Benefits and Leave Coordinator, Maricela Torres
• After the employee applies for EFML, the remaining 10 weeks are paid at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate for a maximum payment of $200 per day ($10,000 total), or the employee may use accrued paid leave.
• Documentation of the closed child care facility required.  

Updated July 23. 2020

COVID-19 Protocols

The Texas Education Agency’s most recent “Public Health Planning Guidance” document outlines basic guidelines for a safe return to in-person instruction for the 2020-2021 school year. As this document states: “There will almost certainly be situations that necessitate temporary school closure due to positive COVID-19 cases in schools. Parents, educators, and school administrators should be prepared for this in the event that it occurs, while actively working to prevent it through prevention and mitigation practices.” 

• Notifications
  ROISD will respond in the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case or diagnosis among students and/or staff at a specific campus with an email no later than 6 p.m. on the day the COVID-19 case confirmation is reported.
• Intermittent School to Home
  Should there be a need to temporarily close a class or school due to COVID-19, teachers will instruct virtual classes via Canvas and/or Google Classroom, pending the return to campus. Home internet and device access are required for virtual learning. ROISD plans to implement a 1-to-1 device initiative for students who do not have a device or internet access to use at home. In addition, extracurricular and student programs will be temporarily suspended during a campus closure.

Confidentiality

All Red Oak ISD staff will treat any information about potential symptoms or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 as confidential medical information. Employees are prohibited from disclosing confidential information about other employees.

Signs and Symptoms

A staff member develops symptoms during the workday, or has been in a district facility then calls in sick with symptoms:

• Employee reports immediately to his/her supervisor
• Separate ill staff from others and send him/her home
• Follow Isolation Procedures
• Campus/department supervisor will notify staff of possible exposure while maintaining medical confidentiality (HIPAA)

Positive Test Result by Staff Member

• Employee reports confirmed test result immediately to his/her supervisor
• The employee will be quarantined for a minimum of 10 workdays to prevent any possible spread of the virus - even if the employee does not have any signs or symptoms
• Contact Operations, Kevin Freels, for cleaning/disinfecting of the staff member’s work area (if needed)
• Campus/department supervisor will notify staff of possible exposure while maintaining medical confidentiality (HIPPA)
• Contact HR Benefits Coordinator, Maricela Torres, to apply for EFML (Emergency Family Medical Leave)

Possible Exposure, Family Member Positive

A staff member has a family member (whom they have been around) who has tested positive, or been exposed to another individual who has tested positive:

• The employee reports possible exposure immediately to his or her supervisor
• The employee should conduct multiple self-screenings daily, including temperature scans
• Depending on exposure, the employee may be quarantined for 10 workdays to prevent any possible spread of the virus - even if the employee does not have any signs or symptoms
• Contact HR Benefits Coordinator, Maricela Torres, to apply for EFML (Emergency Family Medical Leave)

Persons at High Risk

Persons at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19 include people 65 and over, those with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, asthma, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, and people with compromised immune systems. Employees with concerns should discuss their individual situations with their health care providers. Employees may be eligible for Family Medical Leave and will need to contact HR Benefits Coordinator, Maricela Torres, to apply for EFML (Emergency Family Medical Leave).

Updated August 5. 2020

Contact tracing is part of a public health process used in response to a confirmed COVID-19 or other infectious diseases. If an individual who has been in a school is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19, the school must notify the Texas Department of State Health Services (TXDSHS), in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, including confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, a public health worker may call you to check-in on your health, discuss who you have been in contact with, and ask where you spent time while you may have been infectious and able to spread COVID-19 to others. You will also be asked to stay at home and self-isolate, if you are not doing so already.

Everyone should remember the phases of managing COVID -19.

Monitor- conducting daily health self-screens, wearing a face covering, social distance and maintain daily prevention strategies.

Self-Quarantine “Staying Home”- when you stay at home for 14 days and monitor your health because you have come in “close contact” with someone that has had a confirmed positive test for COVID-19.

In general, close contact is defined as:

1. being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or
2. being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes;

Either (a) or (b) defines close contact if it occurred during the infectious period of the case, defined as two days prior to symptom onset to 10 days after symptom onset. In the case of asymptomatic individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, the infectious period is defined as two days prior to the confirming lab test and continuing for 10 days following the confirming lab test.

Self-Isolation- you have a lab confirm positive test for COVID 19 or you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID -19. Stay at home for 10 days after the date of your positive test and your symptoms have improved. If you did not test, but are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 you must stay home for 10 days after symptoms first appeared and no fever for 24 hours without medication and symptoms improve.

If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either:

(a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis or

(b) obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing location found at https://tdem.texas.gov/covid-19/.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Contact tracing is a private process. All Red Oak ISD staff will treat any information about potential symptoms or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 as confidential medical information. Employees are prohibited from disclosing confidential information about other employees. As part of local, state, and federal laws, an employee’s personal information may not be released to the public or shared with individuals who may come in contact with the infected employee.

Updated July 31. 2020

Individuals must stay at home throughout the infection period and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met.

COVID-19 Signs and/or Symptoms

Staff with symptoms of COVID-19 may not return to work until:

• No longer having a fever (<100.4) for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications AND
• Significant improvement of symptoms (cough, sore throat, headache, etc.) AND
• At least 10 workdays have passed since symptoms first started
  OR
• Staff member has a statement from a medical professional that clears them to return to work based on an alternative diagnosis

COVID-19 Positive Test Result

Staff with confirmed COVID-19 may not return to work until:

• The same criteria listed above have been met
  OR
• Negative lab/test result

Possible Exposure, Family Member Positive

Staff exposed to person(s) confirmed to have COVID-19 may not return to work until:

• The end of the 14-day self-quarantine from the last date of exposure