What are your state/district’s requirements for opening/closing schools (covid stats)

[georgiegirl]

I’m wondering what your state/district has decided are the requirements for allowing schools to open for in-person instruction and what covid stats would force a school to close?


I’m in Iowa. Our governor held a return to learn press conference yesterday, and I’m completely horrified at what is required to ask for schools to switch to online learning. First off, she is requiring in person learning for at least 50% of classes. That pretty much takes hybrid off the table. She said since most counties are under 10% positivity, it is safe to open schools for in person learning. She also laid out what the threshold would be for schools to ask to switch from in person to online. And this is where it gets really crazy. The county would need positivity of 15% AND school absenteeism of 10%. Or if a school cannot meet that threshold, you need a 20% positivity rate. at that point the school can apply for a waiver to switch to online for 2 weeks. It takes up to 48 hours (not including weekends) to get an approval or denial. And teachers are deemed essential workers and must work so long as they are symptomatic. I’ll just add that our governor is a Trump supporter. We never had a stay at home order, and she refuses to consider a mask mandate. Our bars are open, even though we are one of the states the CDC recommended to close bars.

I’m just wondering what other states and districts have decided.


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[marymoo86]

Don't know - our asshats won't tell us, either at the state or local level. It's undefined but yet we have numerous care organizations touting full day care at $200 a week per kid.

We have 50% enrolled in the Virtual academy - teachers still report to their school so there's no change in safety considering our Sec of HHS has said there's no evidence of child to teacher transmission.

With the number of people racing to secure teachers/teacher assistants, the learning gap and disparities will explode if this goes on for long.

[KrisM]

Michigan doesn't have very many specifics on when they will close, other than if we are in phases 1-3. Parts of the state is in phase 4 and parts in phase 5. But the guidelines of what is needed to move on either direction isn't clear.

As long as we are in phase 4 or better, schools can decide how to operate. Some near me are opening only remote, some are hybrid schedules, some are full 5 day in school. My district is doing 5 day in person.

Many schools are also offering full time online/virtual classes. My district has had this option for 10 years now.

There are a lot of requirements, strong recommendations, and recommendations for the schools while in phase 4 or 5. I'm happy my district is doing nearly 100% of all of them. For phase 4, masks are required for staff and for students grades 6-12. They are strongly recommended for grades k-5. My district is requiring them for all kids. The one they can't do is space all desks 6 feet apart. They can do 3 feet or more.

I feel pretty good about the plan for us, but am still undecided about what my kids will do.

ETA: We also will have to follow our county health department's plan, but that has not been released yet.

[DualvansMommy]

In NJ, we’re paused in phase 2, indoor dining & bars are still closed as well gyms and malls. Only thing is open is outdoor dining and shopping with masks and 6 feet apart.

Our rate is hovering around 1%, although have had 2 major outbreaks in southern NJ. Airbnb had a private party for 700 that was busted and traced to have positive cases!! Initially going with hybrid plans only but now governor is offering all virtual option for families. Our district is only doing half days, and for my kids cohort it’s 2 days in school and 3 days live instruction with link to classroom. Masks are to be worn, 6 feet apart, no lunches. Instead kids take lunch to go at dismissal time. No gym, recess outside 6 feet apart and doing instruction outside as much of time if weather is good.


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[o_mom]

They do not have specific guidelines. Schools are to work with the local health department.

They have said that if 2+ kids in one classroom test positive, the whole class will go home for 2 weeks. Single cases will be decided on a case-by-case basis of close contacts (per required seating charts). They also said that younger grades may have to send whole classes home because they realize the futility of seating charts for < 3rd grade.

That said - one positive kid in MS will likely mean 50-100 kids quarantined. We would hit 10-20% pretty quickly with that. The news today said that a local school started yesterday and sent home a kid mid-day who then tested positive.

We got additions to the already long FAQ for the HS and they are doing staggered passing periods, one way traffic in some areas, etc. I told a friend that every grade this year will be like the first month of kindergarten - where to line up, how to use the bathroom, how to walk in the halls, how to turn in homework.

[ezcc]

In MD I think the governor is leaving it up to individual districts for now. It seems that most have already announced virtual to start, at least the more populous counties. Private and parochial schools are mostly planning to open. Our positivity rate is around 5%. We are pretty open statewide, with a required mask ordinance-including in school I think.

[MSWR0319]

In OH there are guidelines but nothing mandated except staff must wear masks. Right now we’re under a mask order, so kids are also required to wear masks if they are 10 or older. Each district is allowed to do what they want. Our county has a “plan” that they worked with the health department and it pretty much ignores all of the guidelines. Our school just announced an 8 page plan that basically says “you’re at your own risk, we’re doing what we can.” Which means they are doing nothing. 84 kids on a bus, full classrooms, etc. Our state has a Color coded map that changes if your county meets certain requirements. If we go red, the they move to online school. DeWine did say yesterday that he isn’t making requirements yet, but may have to if things don’t start looking better. Our school is also offering a virtual option, but it’s not through our school and is basically just curriculum. So, we’re leaning heavily towards Connection Academy. I have one kid fine with that, and one who isn’t.

ETA: And if someone tests positive it’s up to the health department to decide if you get to find out. If someone with Covid was in contact with your kid for 15 minutes within 6 feet, then you’ll find out. So if your locker neighbor sneezes on you and they have Covid, you won’t find out because it wasn’t 15 minutes. I have no faith in our health department. They told me they weren’t going to stop gatherings of up to 300 when the order clearly says 10. The governor even reiterated yesterday its 10 and only up to 300 for weddings but must be half of the halls capacity.

[mnj77]

In Oregon we need to have less than 10 cases/100,000 people in the county over 7 days and positivity rate less than 5% statewide to open. In my county (largest in the state) we currently have about 60 cases/100,000 per week, so we won’t be opening anytime soon. Most districts have said they’re not opening before November.

I’m fine with the metrics for reopening, but wish there were more aggressive plans for reaching the metrics. Seems like there’s a wait and see approach and we’ll be in the same position in November. Kind of doubt we’ll be back to school at all in 2020-21.

[SnuggleBuggles]

There is no statewide rule. It is district to district.
I'm following our school district where we reside (and ds1 just graduated from) and the charter school where ds2 attends (in a different school district). Both plans overlap a lot. I'll call our home district A and charter school B
A: delayed in person at least 30 days. After that they will reevaluate and look for a consistent 14 day drop in new cases. Hybrid will follow. Split by letter of the alphabet (at the moment- I assume some changes might happen especially with high schoolers and small AP classes). Group 1 would go in person Monday and Thursday. Group 2 would go Tuesday and Friday. School closed on Wed. to allow for various supports (teacher, student). Eventually hope to resume normal school but I don't remember what the criteria is to reopen fully. Virtual only is 100% a parent's choice.
Cafeterias will be open and distancing required. Extra outside tables to be added outside as well. It will never be very crowded as only up to half the students will be in the building at once and enrollment is already low.

B: online only for the whole first quarter. Current hybrid plan is 3 groups of students. Group 1 comes one week then virtual the next 2. etc...

Both A and B will be bringing in kids with IEPs and need supports beyond what can be done virtually starting in September.

[pinkmomagain]

In NY (not NYC) where our rates are pretty low right now (around 1%). Nothing is in stone, but plan is hybrid for MS & HS students. Split A/B groups with each attending physically in school for half the week and the other half remote/online (combo of synchronous, asynchronous, group and independent work). Parents will also have the option to keep kids 100% remote. Bussing will be provided but car transport recommended/preferred. Cuomo has pretty strict in-school guidelines and nothing has been 100% approved yet.

I didn't pay close attention to lower grades but I think they are trying to provide 100% in-school for grades K-2.