While there is always an inherent risk of contracting an illness when individuals interact with each other, the following requirements and recommendations can help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses.
Classrooms
State Requirement:
- Staff members trained on implementing strategies to identify and mitigate risk in the classroom setting
- School personnel and students wearing face masks while on school campuses. (Student’s age, range of disabilities, sensory sensitivity, and medical conditions should be considered)
Additional Recommendations:
- Maximize space between desks and tables (acknowledging that 6 feet of distance between desks is not feasible for most Utah classrooms)
- Move nonessential furniture and equipment out of classrooms to increase distancing
- Consider seating students facing forward if practical
- Assign seats to support contact tracing
- Consider temporary closure of computer lab if students are able to access the content outside the lab
- Establish exit and entrance procedures for the classroom
- When bringing multiple classes together, consider using other spaces inside or outside of the building
Transitions/Common Areas
State Requirement:
- Identify high traffic areas and apply floor markings or signage to direct traffic
- Students required to wear face coverings during transitions
Additional Recommendations:
- Prop doors open to reduce touch
- Place signs or markings in halls showing efficient traffic patterns
- Encourage students to use a backpack instead of frequent locker use
- Minimize and monitor congregation of students
- Consider staggered transitions to minimize interactions between multiple groups
- Consider extended pass times
Entry and Exit Points/Parent/Guest/Volunteer Access to School
State Requirements:
- Designate entry/exit flow paths to minimize congestion
- Limit nonessential visitors and volunteers to campuses and programs
- Establish protocols for any visitors and non-regular staff, adhering to all current health and safety guidelines
- Face coverings required
- Establish protocols for drop-off/pick-up - Communicate expectations to families
Additional Recommendations:
- Consider protocols for visitors, including sign-in and sign-out, locations being visited, calling the front office before entering, use of face coverings, etc.
- Post signage encouraging physical distancing
Transportation
State Requirements:
- Face coverings for students, staff, and other passengers. (Student’s age, range of disabilities, sensory sensitivity, and medical conditions should be considered)
- Implement strategies to ensure driver safety
- Develop protocols for minimizing mixing of students from different households
Additional Recommendations:
- Students should not be refused transportation for failure to wear a face covering (provide disposable face coverings in case a student forgets to bring their own)
Restrooms
Additional Recommendations:
- Look at minimizing the number of individuals in a restroom
- Face coverings required while in restrooms
- If students are grouped by the same hallway/floor/grade level, designate restroom for each cohort
- Consider floor markings to encourage physical distancing
Cafeterias
State Requirements:
- Mark spaced lines and designate serving line flow paths
- Remove self-service salad bars and buffet
- Food service workers wear face coverings
- Students required to wear face coverings while in lines and when not eating
Additional Recommendations:
- Expanded cafeteria area with options such as inside and outside seating where possible
- Consider staggering lunch hours to reduce the number of students at one time
- Consider decreasing lunch times
Large Group Gatherings: Assemblies/Performances/Dances, etc.
State Requirements:
- Group gatherings are organized with health and safety principles and requirements from the Weber/Morgan health department to mitigate risks
- Face coverings required
Additional Recommendations:
- Consider limiting and/or canceling nonessential assemblies, dances, etc. or reschedule as virtual gatherings
- Consider broadcasting assemblies into the classroom
- If a large gathering is held, appropriate physical distancing and face coverings required
- Create alternate plans for whole staff gatherings/trainings as virtual meetings
Unique Courses with Higher Risk of Spread - (Choir, Band, Orchestra, Drama, CTE, Fine Arts, etc.)
State Requirements:
- Identify courses that would be more at risk and make classroom mitigation plans with support from local health department guidelines
- Face coverings required
Additional Recommendations:
- Use larger spaces if possible (auditoriums, cafeterias, stages, outdoors, etc.)
- Reduce durations spent face-to-face with other students
- Look at ways to increase airflow and ventilation
Recess/Playgrounds/P.E. Classes
Additional Recommendations:
- Limit activities to those that do not require physical contact
- Use available spaces to increase physical distancing between students
Special Education, Related Services, or School Counseling
State Requirements:
- Face coverings or shields for one-on-one close contact with students
- Provide reasonable accommodations for students who are unable to wear face coverings
Additional Recommendations:
- Follow District's Special Education guidelines
Pre-Schools/Day Cares
State Requirement:
- Staff members trained on implementing strategies to identify and mitigate risk in the classroom setting
- School personnel and students wearing face coverings (Student’s age, range of disabilities, sensory sensitivity, and medical conditions should be considered)
Additional Recommendations:
- Seating arrangements to provide for physical distancing as appropriate based on individual and instructional needs
After-School Programs
State Requirement:
- Staff members trained on implementing strategies to identify and mitigate risk in the classroom setting
- School personnel and students wearing face coverings (Student’s age, range of disabilities, sensory sensitivity, and medical conditions should be considered)
Additional Recommendations:
- Encourage usage of large spaces in the building or outdoors when possible
- Maintain reasonable physical distancing
- No private or for-profit groups in the building (school and/or city sponsored groups only)
Athletics
State Requirements:
- Group gatherings are organized with health and safety principles and requirements from the Weber/Morgan health department to mitigate risks
- Face coverings required
Additional Recommendations:
- Follow all current recommendations and requirements of the UHSAA for both high school and junior high school athletics (temperature monitoring, hand washing, etc.)
- Students and general public take reasonable precautions to maintain physical distancing
- Concessions - allowed following recommended guidelines by the health department
- Limit concession stand sales to pre-packaged beverages and food
- Cash payments discouraged
- Restrooms available with signage encouraging physical distancing
Driver Education (Guidelines established by State Driver Ed Program)
State Requirements:
- Symptom check of all staff (once per shift) and students prior to entering the vehicle
- Driving by appointment only with a maximum of three students and the instructor in the vehicle
- Students and instructor wear face coverings
- Reasonable physical distancing when not in the vehicle
- Range by appointment with only one student in the vehicle at a time
- Classroom - Follow same recommendations as in regular classrooms
- Paperwork submitted electronically; avoiding handling and sharing of paperwork
Back-to-School Nights/Parent Teacher Conferences
State Requirements:
- Group gatherings are organized with health and safety principles and requirements from the Weber/Morgan health department to mitigate risks
- Facial coverings required
Additional Recommendations:
- Students and Parents may meet with their teachers in the teachers’ classrooms
- Consider scheduled appointments in person or virtual
- Students and parents take reasonable precautions to maintain physical distancing
Graduation
State Requirements:
- Group gatherings are organized with health and safety principles and requirements from the Weber/Morgan health department to mitigate risks
Additional Recommendations:
- Traditional graduation can be held with precautions encouraged, including required face coverings
