HEALTH AND PREVENTION GUIDANCE

FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR 

Grandview Heights Schools will return to daily, in-person instruction for the 2021-2022 school year on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. The following information shares how schools will navigate returning to standard operations following the revised health orders.  

MITIGATION STRATEGIES   

Schools will use layered mitigation strategies for the health and safety of the Grandview Heights Schools community. 

• Face Masks: As of March 1, 2022, Grandview Heights Schools K-12 masking for students and staff is optional for indoor and outdoor activities and events.
• Physical Distancing: Individuals will be physically distanced by three (3) feet when possible. 
• PPE: Plexiglass dividers will be available for students and staff, including in the school cafeterias.  We will also have masks available upon request.  
• Hand Washing/Hand Sanitizing: Increased hand washing will continue to be emphasized throughout the school day. Hand sanitizer will continue to be placed in classrooms and throughout the buildings. Students will be encouraged to sanitize their hands throughout the day. 
• Cleaning and Disinfecting: Routine cleaning protocols will continue throughout all school buildings and buses.  
• Vaccinations: The Ohio Department of Health continues to encourage our community to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Ohio Department of Health provides information on the benefits of the vaccine in a school environment. Visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov to find available vaccination locations in our area. The COVID-19 vaccine is not required for staff and students.
• Vaccination Clinics: Similar to other vaccination clinics provided by Franklin County Public Health, a Grandview Heights Schools facility may serve as a vaccination site. 

• Face Masks: Optional for all students, staff, and school bus drivers while on the bus. 
• Hand Sanitizing: Hand sanitizer will be available on all school buses. 
• Assigned Seats: Students will have an assigned seat and will be seated up to the bus capacity. 
• Cleaning and Disinfecting: Each bus will continue to be cleaned and disinfected daily. 

BUILDING PROTOCOLS

• Visitors and Volunteers: Essential visitors and volunteers will be permitted into school buildings, determined by the building principal.
• Air Flow/HVAC: The building HVAC systems will continue to be programmed to bring in more outside air throughout the day. Final air filtering for district school buildings is through a MERV 13 filter, which is rated for bacteria and virus carriers. 
• Water Bottle Fillers/Fountains: Water bottle filling stations will be open for use. Water fountains will continue to be closed.

FOOD SERVICES

All enrolled students are eligible to receive one breakfast and one lunch at no charge for the 2021-2022 school year through United States Department of Agriculture waivers. Lunchroom menus are available here http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1406111855424272&page=menus

• Cafeteria Seating: In order to provide sufficient information for contact tracing, elementary, middle school students will sit at assigned lunch room tables.  All students will have the ability to choose to go home for lunch which must be coordinated with their building principal. 
• PPE: Table dividers will be available for students upon request.
• Hand Sanitizing: Students will be encouraged to wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer before lunch periods.

HEALTH AT SCHOOL

• Self-Assessment: Everyone is encouraged to do a self-assessment before entering a school district facility. Please refer to the COVID-19 symptoms listed by the Ohio Department of Health.

CONTACT TRACING AND QUARANTINE    Grandview Heights Schools will follow the Ohio Department of Health contact tracing and isolation and quarantine protocols.

• Reporting COVID-19 cases: Staff members and students should continue to report positive COVID-19 test results to Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) and the school district. Our schools are required to report known cases to the Ohio Department of Health for anyone physically in our buildings. As is the current FCPH policy, fully vaccinated (see updated guidance below) individuals will not need to quarantine if exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual unless symptoms are present.
• District Notifications: The communications team will follow the district’s communicable disease notification process and notify impacted classrooms and/or buildings when needed. The communicable disease notification process is set forth by FCPH based on the Classification of Reportable Infectious Diseases in Ohio (ORC 3701-3), which sets a threshold of the number of cases each illness must hit within a classroom or building in order to trigger a notification of possible exposure.  

This guidance is based on current public health conditions, recommendations, and orders from federal, state, and local public health agencies. As with all COVID-19 related matters, it is subject to change based on new developments that may occur at any time.

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH GUIDANCE FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR

Updated January 27, 2022

Contact District Nurse Amy Elliott, RN, LSN, at [email protected] or by calling (614) 485-4002 with any questions or concerns.