(Updated November 30, 2020)

Hoover City Schools Reopening Plan: (Health, Wellness & Safety)

Our plan for reopening school health rooms prioritizes student health/safety and is based on guidance from ADPH/ALSDE/CDC and local medical providers to assist in reducing possible transmission of contagions. The information below is subject to change as new guidance/research emerge:

• We ask that parents check their child's temperature each morning BEFORE sending them to school and to keep them home from school if they have a fever (100 degrees or higher) or possible symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, body aches, runny nose, flushed cheeks, extreme fussiness, vomiting or diarrhea).  Mass temperature screenings will not be conducted at schools.
• Return to school from fever - must be fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medications or as directed by a personal physician.
• We ask parents to administer morning medication doses at home whenever possible to limit the number of students in the health room area at one time, thus limiting possible exposure to illness.
• We do not anticipate mass temperature screenings (logistically challenging and not always a conclusive screening tool) yet will have random temperature checks.
• We ask that parents notify their school nurse asap if their child tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in contact with a COVID-19 positive individual.
• Return to school from COVID-19 - 10 days from onset of symptoms, or if asymptomatic 10 days from the date of a test that yielded a positive result, or as directed by a medical provider. We will follow guidance from ADPH/ALSDE/CDC and local medical providers as situations occur.
• Masks/nose-mouth coverings will be required for all students, employees, and visitors. Mask/Nose-mouth coverings must cover the nose and mouth. Face shield coverings must cover the nose/mouth, wrap the sides of the face and extend below the chin.  Special exceptions include documented medical/emotional/psychological conditions that may be negatively impacted by the use of masks/nose-mouth coverings.  Dress Code restrictions extend to masks.
• Hand sanitizer stations- each campus has no-touch hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility. Some are free-standing, some are wall-mounted.  We also encourage employees and students to have access to their own personal hand sanitizer when possible. We will encourage frequent, proper handwashing for everyone.
• Nursing staff - Each campus has at least one school nurse on staff.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)- school nurses will be provided appropriate PPE (i.e., masks, face shields, gloves) to wear when assessing students for illness.
• Social distancing - school nurses will always encourage social distancing and will provide social distancing measures in the health rooms when feasible.
• School nurse desks/workstations will be equipped with plexiglass barriers for added protection.
• School nurses will initially perform temperature checks on all students visiting the health room for illness.
• Upon identification of fever - students/employees identified with fever will be masked and escorted to the isolation area. Parents/Guardians will be notified immediately to pick the child up from school.  Students’ belongings will be sent to the health room. 
• Isolation areas - for students/employees with symptoms while waiting for check out/pick up from school, each school health room will have an area either inside the health room when feasible or in a separate room nearby for isolation of students with fever or symptoms of illness who are being sent home. Those students will be masked and seated with social distancing in place. If the isolation area is within the health room, the areas will be separated by freestanding room partitions/dividers.
• Contact tracing will be performed by ADPH. This is not the responsibility of school nurses.
• School nurses will be mindful of confidentiality issues, as always.
• Health rooms and isolation areas will be cleaned at strategic times throughout the day with a focus on high-touch areas.

For additional information, please visit: Isolation and Quarantine Timeframes for COVID-19 for Non-Healthcare Personnel