COVID Health & Safety Plan

Masks are no longer required universally in schools. However, there will be situations in which Highline may temporarily require the use of a well-fitting mask in collaboration with Public Health - Seattle & King County recommendations.

Situations for Required Wearing of Masks

• Anyone who exhibits COVID-19-like symptoms is required to immediately isolate from others and sent home. While waiting to leave, they are required to wear a well-fitting mask, if tolerated and age-appropriate.
• Anyone providing care or evaluation to the isolated individual is required to wear appropriate PPE, including a mask.
• In the isolation room and the nurse/health room, as they are considered health care settings.
• Masks may also be required universally during clusters and/outbreaks in classrooms or with groups of students to limit disease transmission and ensure in-person instruction and care.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

When working with students who don’t wear masks under a reasonable accommodation (medical concerns, students with disabilities, etc.), the staff members are strongly encouraged to wear:

• Disposable gowns
• Face shields
• Masks
• Gloves (change gloves between every session with students)

PPE is available for staff, students, and visitors at a designated site in each building.

Accommodations for students with disabilities is an individualized approach, in alignment with each student’s IEP and the school’s site-based safety plan. School leadership, staff, students, and families can collaborate on strategies to provide the least restrictive instructional environment possible while maintaining the health and safety of all individuals involved. For example, a student who is unable to wear a mask due to their disability is not required to wear a mask, and the school staff involved, will use best practices to continue to support the plan for that individual student in the classroom.

Physical distancing recommendations should not prevent a school from offering full-time, in-person learning to all students/families in the fall. Opportunities to increase physical space between students, staff, and visitors to the degree possible during all scheduled activities and limit interactions in large group settings. Distance will be maximized between students and children to the degree possible for the following circumstances: 

• When in the cafeteria.
• In common areas outside of the classroom.
• During high-risk activities when increased exhalation or aerosolization occurs. These activities should be moved outdoors or to large, well-ventilated spaces whenever possible.

Handwashing and Respiratory Etiquette

Continued handwashing stations available in all hallways that include hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, antibacterial hand soap, and adult and child disposable masks. Proper handwashing is stressed to students and staff. 

Students will wash hands upon entry into the classroom or other learning space. Schools should teach and reinforce handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and increase monitoring to ensure adherence among students, teachers, and staff.

• Encourage students and staff to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue when not wearing a mask and immediately wash their hands after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing. 
• Some students with disabilities might need assistance with handwashing and respiratory etiquette behaviors. 
• Support healthy hygiene behaviors by providing adequate supplies, including soap, a way to dry hands, tissues, face masks (as feasible), and no-touch/foot pedal trash cans. 
• If soap and water are not readily available, schools can provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol (for staff and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer).

Signs & Guidance

• Schools will post signage in classrooms and bathrooms about proper handwashing and respiratory etiquette. 
• Schools will post signage in hallways, classrooms, and entrances to communicate how to stop the spread of COVID-19 (symptoms, preventative measures, good  hygiene, proper respiratory etiquette, school/district specific protocols, etc.)

Cleaning and Maintenance
Increased cleaning and disinfection is conducted by custodial staff daily. Custodial staff will continue to use electrostatic machines/targeted disinfecting & sanitizing. 

Ventilation
Highline Public Schools has been meeting or exceeding the guidance from the Washington State Department of Health mirrors  since hybrid return, and we will build on these basic requirements. Highline Public Schools will continue to: 

• Change filters as needed (clogged filters decrease HVAC operation, stress the fan motors, and decrease ability to improve indoor air quality). Visually check the filter for a tight fit within the frame and ensure there are no rips or tears. 
• Inspect and clean the entire system at least as often as recommended by the manufacturer or installer. Make repairs quickly to prevent more serious issues. 
• Reduce recirculation of air; increase/maximize outside air. 
• Increase filtration to the highest level possible. MERV 13 is recommended, if possible. 
• Bring in outside air continuously two hours prior to occupancy and for two hours after occupancy, including while cleaning and disinfection is occurring. 
• Inspect and maintain local exhaust ventilation in restrooms, kitchens, cooking areas, labs, etc. Increase exhaust ventilation from restrooms above code minimums. 
• Work with a building engineer or HVAC specialist to generate air movement that goes from clean-to-less-clean air. 
• Refrain from using ozone generators, electrostatic precipitators and ionizers, or negative ion air purifiers because they can produce harmful by-products. Portable HEPA air cleaners can supplement ventilation and are most critical in rooms with poorer ventilation or in isolation areas.

Air Quality Standards

As of January 2021, all air units allow four complete air exchanges in the building every hour, which is in compliance with industry standards. In efforts to go beyond this standard, air handling systems have increased the airflow to five exchanges per hour, which will allow outside air to enter the building every 8-10 minutes, rather than every 15 minutes.  The operable windows are opened for additional circulation; however, all doors leading into a hallway are to remain closed, as per fire and life safety code.

While our HVAC/filtration systems currently meet the standards set forth by the CDC and DOH, Highline Public Schools continue to test airflow and filtration systems regularly. Highline Public Schools works with McKinstry to develop a detailed Investment Grade Audit (IGA) of HVAC upgrades. The purpose and goal of the HVAC upgrades is to improve ventilation airflow and Indoor Air Quality of the classrooms at the selected school. Some of the schools are very old with existing infrastructure well beyond typical useful life. Therefore, the following schools have been selected to be part of the HVAC Upgrade Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) Funding Project:  

1. Beverly Park Elementary School
2. Big Picture (Manhattan) High School
3. New Start (Salmon Creek) High School
4. Sylvester Middle School
5. Valley View Early learning Center

The main focus at these buildings is to improve classroom ventilation and comfort by replacing aged unit ventilators, installing new steam lines, and upgrading electrical infrastructure to accommodate the new equipment electrical requirement.

Currently, the projects at Valley View, Manhattan, and Sylvester are on track for completion in the Fall of 2022.

Highline Public Schools will continue its protocols from the 2020-21 school year for case investigation, isolation, quarantine, communication, and response. This original guidance was developed in consideration of feedback on all COVID protocols from the Muckleshoot Tribe, the Washington Department of Health, the University of Washington, and HPS students, families, and staff. 

In the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school year:

• School leadership (including site-based COVID Response Leads) and nurses will continue to receive support and training on how to report positive cases to the district’s Special Projects COVID Response Team. 

• The district will continue to leverage various strategies in accordance with each building’s individual school safety plan for school-based leadership to collect information about positive cases and report information to Special Projects COVID Response Team in a timely manner. 
• In the event of exposure for staff and students, the Special Projects Team will continue to follow DOH and Public Health protocols (linked in resources) and serve as the primary liaison between school district and Public Health Seattle and King County in order to enact contact tracing, isolation, quarantine, communication, and response protocols in a timely manner. 
• Special Projects Team ensures complete reporting of information, communicates most updated public health information, and answers questions/concerns from district members.

Symptom Monitoring: Staff and students should stay at home and notify the school office if they are experiencing COVID-related symptoms.

Diagnostic Testing: All students, staff, and families can be tested for COVID-19 through the Special Projects COVID Response Team. This testing is for symptomatic individuals or individuals who may have been potentially exposed to a positive COVID case.

 

Public Health- Seattle & King County and affiliates are hosting COVID-19 vaccination events in south and southeast King County. Vaccines are free and available for anyone ages 5 and older regardless of health insurance, citizenship or immigration status. Doses 1, 2, and Boosters will be available. On-site Interpreter services will also be available.

More information on vaccination access to school communities will continue to be provided via our COVID-19 Vaccination website.