Return from Pandemic Checklist

The COVID-19 pandemic forced virtually every school in the United States to quickly make substantial adjustments and adopt new methods for delivering instruction, taking care of students, and continuing operations. When the pandemic has passed and social distancing is relaxed, Superintendents will be faced with the challenges of reopening schools to staff and students. This checklist is meant to help guide you through the process of re-opening schools.

• Capture Intelligence and Communicate
• Health Monitoring: Plan to monitor families at home, students at school, student absences, staff, visitors, and vendors at school.
• Check Status of Staff: In order to manage the health and welfare of your staff, monitor the return to work status of staff and factors like risk of illness, childcare availability, exposure to COVID-19, etc.
• Communication Plan: Create a communication plan with all stakeholders. Escalate alerting and high-risk incident.
   
• Analyze Data and Schedule
• Personal Protective Equipment: Estimate the requirements per building for personal protective equipment (PPE) and acquire, deliver to buildings equipment for recipients. Determine availability and back orders on PPE.
   
• Deploy Solutions and Activate New Systems
• Regular Building Startup Procedures: Inform Police and Fire that you are reoccupying, inspect building exterior, inspect building exterior, inspect interior, inspect fire and mechanical systems, inspect electrical, and fresh drinking water.
• Disinfecting Public Areas and Deliveries: Build a plan to deep clean prior to opening the school district including all school facilities and transportation vehicles. Plan for shipments to be disinfected shortly after arrival.
• Provide Sanitation Resources: Prepare and increase hygiene stations while in active pandemic.
• Prepare Learning Environments: Lock off spaces, create one-way flow pattern using signage, and designate entry and exit doors.
   
• Startup Systems and Train
• Testing and Reporting: Determine testing and reporting protocols, train staff, and schedule regular practice.
• Social Distancing: Establish a social distancing plan for all rooms in the school building and district office.
• Protective Equipment: Provide sufficient personal protective equipment for staff.
• Manage Entry and Exit: Secure and monitor the entrances and exits of each building while maintaining a log.
• Protocol Enforcement: Identify personnel to enforce hygiene and social distancing practices and monitor the environment.
   
• Monitor and Adjust
• Continued Cleaning: Monitor cleaning schedules and collect data needed for reimbursement.
• Safety Supply Chain: Monitor Vendors of critical safety PPE to prevent shortages.
• District Safety Supplies: Monitor building level supply inventories for reallocation if needed.
• Monitor and Review Safety Data: Continue to review your safety plans and protocols to see if they are having a positive impact in the recovery and re-opening of your schools.