This document outlines the procedures our campuses have in place to safely return to in-person learning beginning June 1, 2021. 

OVERVIEW:
This plan has been created with the health and safety of students and employees in mind as we enter the 2022-2023 school year with in-person learning. The guidelines referenced in this plan take into consideration guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), University Interscholastic League (UIL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local and state officials. 
Regular updates will be made to this plan based on guidance from these authoritative sources. For the most accurate information, be sure to follow and monitor our authorized communications platforms listed below.
 

For current information regarding the District's Public Health Guide:

• On this webpage: www.killeenisd.org/phg
• Check your email often
• Follow our District social media platforms

All employees are required to monitor their KISD email account frequently and ensure that the Human Resources Department has a current/accurate personal phone number on file in case immediate contact is needed.
 

In the event the District, campuses or programs do not reopen or are ordered to close during the 2022-2023 school year, KISD will publish through its communication channels more information regarding specific updates pertinent to the closure period.
 

All employees and parents must understand the safety requirements, protocols, and expectations that have been implemented to ensure that all students and staff stay safe and healthy. Updates pertinent to the evolving pandemic situation will be provided throughout the year. 
 

The District continues to support the mental wellness of all students and staff. Parents wishing to speak directly with a school counselor may contact their child's campus. Employees have access to mental health support services through our Recruitment & Retention Department.
 

VISITORS
Killeen ISD campuses will be open for traditional in-person instruction and will welcome visitors into our campuses. All visitors must self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms prior to arriving at a KISD property.

SCREENING - STUDENTS AND STAFF
Before entering any KISD facility, all students and staff should self-screen daily for COVID-19 symptoms. If the student is not old enough to self-screen on their own, an adult guardian should perform the daily screening for them. If a child is not feeling well, parents should keep them home. If while on campus, a staff member or student develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and has a temperature equal to or higher than 100.0 degrees, the following will occur:
-   The individual will be escorted or will report to the clinic (as age, ability, and situation deems appropriate).
-   If applicable, and allowable, the clinic staff will contact parents with assessment findings.
-   For students, if the clinic assessment indicates potential symptoms are present, an eligible guardian will be required to pick up the student immediately.
 
COVID-19 SELF-SCREEN SYMPTOMS LIST
     i.      Fever (≥100.0°F) 
AND
     i.      Sore throat
     ii.     Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
     iii.    New cough
     iv.    New loss of taste or smell*
     v.     Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
     vi.    New onset of headache
 

• Stay home when you are sick and have a fever equal to or greater than 100.0.
• Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you do, wash your hands afterward.
• Wash hands with soap and water (20 seconds) FREQUENTLY.
• If you do not have soap, use hand sanitizer (60-95% alcohol-based).
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe daily.
• Ensure all vaccines are up to date for oneself and other household members.
• Proceed to the Clinic for any new signs or symptoms of possible COVID-19 that develop during the school day.

Please Note: KISD Health Services staff do not provide official tests to students or staff to identify cases of COVID-19. Individuals will be referred to their primary care physicians for testing. In the event rapid screener assessments are conducted, the results should accompany next steps to seek their medical professional's assessment.
 

People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after coming in contact with someone who had COVID-19, unless they develop symptoms. 

CDC guidance recommends a 5-day isolation period for the non-vaccinated, unmasked person where close contact is defined. 

OR 

• The individual may obtain a doctor’s note indicating an alternate diagnosis and return the following day.

OR  

• Obtain an acute infection test that comes back negative for COVID-19

Parents who opt to send their children to school in the 10 days following exposure are encouraged to closely monitor their children for symptoms.

Employees who have contracted covid in the last 90 days do not have to isolate if they are determined to be close contact unless they begin to develop symptoms.

Close contact is defined as: 

• Unmasked, unvaccinated, and within 3 feet of a COVID positive individual for more than 15 consecutive minutes.

The employee must input absence in FERP/TEAMS. 
 

Those who are observed or report having possible COVID-19 symptoms will be directed to the clinic. The clinic staff who conducts the assessment will follow all relevant guidelines as they exist at the time of the evaluation. If the clinic determines the symptoms warrant removal from campus, the parent/guardian will be given the “Exclusion from School – Exhibiting Symptoms Related to COVID-19” form outlining their return.
 

If the individual needs to wait for transportation before they can depart campus, the individual will be isolated on campus. The isolation will occur in a dedicated location on the campus where the staff/student must remain until they can be transported home or to a healthcare provider. 

Immediate pick-up is defined as within a reasonable amount of time from the location. If there is a delay, the goal will be to remove the symptomatic person from the campus as soon as possible to seek treatment and limit further exposure. During this time, the individual must be isolated and kept in a specific area and must not leave that area while waiting for transportation. 

Parents/guardians or employees will decide what constitutes a reasonable amount of time.
 

KISD will continue to support students with acute or chronic health conditions. Short-term absences will be handled on a case-by-case basis with the student staying in touch with their corresponding Health Care Provider and campus staff. Long-term absences will be evaluated if criteria are appropriate for medical leave or other potential medical accommodations.
 

KISD intends to comply with and implement the current guidance as provided by the Texas Education Agency, Texas Health and Human Services, and the Center for Disease Control. In the event a conflict develops between this plan and current guidance provided by the organizations above, the Superintendent (or designee) will consult with these sources and make the final determination. 

All employees and students that test positive for COVID-19 are required to report the positive case to their campus/department.

As of 1/19/2022: the following conditions apply for staff who have tested positive for COVID-19. Once an individual has been removed from campus due to a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, and before the individual is allowed back on campus, they must meet all three of the following criteria:

• At least 5 calendar days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
• At least 24 hours have passed since recovery (i.e., resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications).
• The individual has improvement in symptoms (i.e., no cough, no fever)  

As of 8/9/2022: The following conditions apply for students who have tested positive for COVID-19:

Once a student has been removed from campus due to a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, and before the individual is allowed back on campus, they must meet all three of the following criteria:

• At least 5 calendar days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
• At least 24 hours have passed since recovery (i.e., resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications).
• The individual has improvement in symptoms (i.e., no cough, no fever)

The Bell County Public Health District recommends children that are too young to wear a mask and test positive for COVID-19 isolate for 10 days from the first date of symptoms.

OR
If the individual (staff or student) is diagnosed with COVID-19 and is asymptomatic (no symptoms) the individual may return to school after 5 days have passed since the date of the COVID test. 
 

These recommendations are subject to change based on national supply and infectious disease outbreaks, as well as clinical judgment and assessment for appropriate protection.

• It is recommended that clinic staff keep a spare change of clothes/scrubs in the office in case of exposure to body fluids or other circumstances.
• Perform triage of student/staff needs in the clinic and, for those with potential COVID-19 symptoms, direct to separate isolation room for evaluation
• If there is a positive COVID-19 case identified, the Bell County Health Department will be notified.
• Hand hygiene is required before and after each office encounter and after each intervention. Soap and water scrubbing for 20 seconds is the preferred method. Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is also acceptable.
• When a student or staff member arrives at the clinic with COVID-19 or infectious disease symptoms, ALWAYS:
• Isolate student/staff in a separate area to assess.
• Ask about potential exposure to COVID-l9 or other infectious diseases.
• Parents/emergency contacts will be notified for Immediate Pick-up as referenced above.  If it is an emergency, 9-1-1 should be immediately notified. Contact EMS and delegate as appropriate.

To minimize exposure to COVID-19, PPE may be used to help mitigate risks. Face coverings will be strongly encouraged, especially for students under the age of 12, but not required for students, staff, and visitors. In the event the Bell County Health Department, or a higher governing body, requires face coverings, KISD will adhere to the requirements.

Free PPE is available throughout Killeen ISD upon request as needed. 
 

Face coverings are a personal choice, and will be encouraged but not required for students, staff, and visitors. Face shields are an approved face covering and can be worn by staff and students.

If a student or employee wishes to wear a face covering, they must provide their own.

• Any artistic elements, words, logos, symbols, pictures, or other features that are not necessary for the function of the face-covering must conform and comply, as relevant, with the dress code requirements found in either the Student Code of Conduct or the Employee Handbook.
• Campus leadership is permitted to apply the dress code standard to face coverings and retain all options relating to enforcing the dress code to include the application of the rules, response to violations, and consequences/discipline.

FACE COVERING EXCEPTIONS
The following are exceptions should a face-covering requirement be imposed by a higher governing body:

• When developmentally inappropriate or unreasonable for the student to wear a face covering.
• Students and staff may be exempt from wearing a face-covering by the school principal due to a documented medical condition or disability of the student/staff.
• Teachers who have established a “teacher zone” are not required to wear a face-covering while alone in their zone.
• Students and staff may remove face coverings on a case-by-case basis for specific instructional needs, including physical education activities, as determined by a teacher.
• Students and staff may remove face coverings while participating in athletic activities or recess.
• Students may be exempt from wearing a face-covering if outlined in their IEP or 504 Plan.

KILLEEN ISD CAMPUSES ON FORT HOOD CAMPUSES
Students, employees, and visitors are no longer required to wear a face mask on Killeen ISD campuses located on Fort Hood due to the recent guidance from the Department of Defense and updated COVID-19 CDC Community Levels; read the entire statement below. Individuals continue to have the choice to wear a face mask when school resumes Monday, March 21, 2022.
 
As of March 18, 2022, Fort Hood personnel and visitors are no longer required to wear masks indoors on the installation. Be aware, mask wear may still be required for providers and patients conducting in-person health care at all medical and dental treatment facilities.
 
In accordance with the “Updated Guidance for Mask and Screening Testing for all Department of Defense Installations and Other Facilities” dated March 1, 2022, indoor mask-wearing is no longer required for DoD personnel or visitors in an area of medium or low community level.
 
All personnel must remain cognizant of health protection levels and be ready to increase or decrease mask wear along with corresponding community transmission levels.
 
Remember, the wear of masks is always optional should you choose to do so. Regardless of the CDC COVID-19 Community Level, DoD force health protection guidance for workplace access and mask-wearing for DoD personnel with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 remains in effect.
 

The health and safety of our employees and students is a priority. All campuses are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by our facilities department. We will continue to adhere to all necessary safety precautions, in addition to the deep cleaning of all campuses before employees and students return. The Facilities Services Department will conform to the current health department, CDC, and other authoritative information regarding best practices and will implement them as is relevant to specific situations.

Facility Services has a regular cleaning schedule for all workspaces at designated cleaning times. Please note that proper equipment such as acceptable disinfectants and PPE will be used when cleaning individual workspaces. KISD will provide cleaning services that will include frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces.

As part of Killeen ISD’s commitment to providing clean and safe facilities for students and staff, KISD provides campuses and departments with several free items to mitigate COVID-19. Hand sanitizer, masks, tissues, paper towels, and cleaning sprays are available for the workspace as needed.  If an employee needs to restock items, they must request them from their campus or department. A full list of items available for free in the Distribution Center can be found on the Employee HUB.
 

Students and staff will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer upon boarding and exiting the bus. When possible, the windows should be open to allow outside air to circulate in the bus. Buses will be thoroughly cleaned after each bus trip, focusing on high-touch surfaces such as bus seats, steering wheels, knobs, and door handles. 
 

We will require employees to maintain this safety standard by continuously cleaning and disinfecting based on the frequency outlined below:

Deep cleaning is triggered when an active employee or student is identified as positive for COVID-19  based on testing. This is a separate and localized treatment with particular protocols and measures and does not impact the general disinfection measures, which will continue as indicated above.
 

Employees are encouraged to disinfect their workspace (teacher desk, phone, etc.) throughout the day, giving special attention to commonly touched surfaces.
 

KISD has alcohol-based hand sanitizers throughout the workplace and in common areas. Cleaning sprays or wipes are also available to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces such as telephones and keyboards.

Originally Posted: 09/04/21
Last revised: 08/10/22