Reopening Plan Main Page | Health checks | Social distancing, face coverings, and PPE | Infection control strategies | Management of ill persons, contact tracing, and monitoring | Health hygiene | Cleaning and disinfecting | Vulnerable populations/accommodations | Visitors on campus | School safety drills
The health and safety of our students, our staff and their families is our top priority. We want students and employees to feel comfortable and safe returning to school campuses. Our reopening plan incorporates recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), and the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
The following protocols and procedures will be in place in all District schools for the 2020-21 school year should in-person schooling resume. Anyone with questions or concerns should contact our COVID-19 safety coordinator JoAnn Menrath at jmenrath@bethlehemschools.org or 518-439-7460.
For more information about how health and safety protocols and trainings will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.
Health Checks
The District has developed resources to educate parents/guardians and staff members regarding the careful observation of symptoms of COVID-19 and health screening measures that must be conducted each morning before coming to school. The resources include the requirement for any student or staff member with a temperature of 100.0°F/37.8°C or greater and/or symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus infection to not come to school. Those individuals who have traveled to locations or states listed in the Governor’s Travel Advisory List will also be required to quarantine for 14 days before returning to school or work. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list of Coronavirus symptoms was used to develop these resources.
The Bethlehem Central School District will implement the following practices to conduct mandated health screening.
Staff, vendors, contractors: Daily at-home temperature checks and completion of a daily online screening questionnaire will be required for staff, contractors, vendors, and visitors prior to arrival at school. Anyone who has a temperature of 100.0°F/37.8°C or greater and/or symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus infection will not be allowed to enter the school building. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list of Coronavirus symptoms was used to develop these resources. No outside visitors will be allowed on school campuses, unless it is for the safety and well-being of students.
Students: Parents will be required to take their children’s temperature each morning prior to going to school. Any student who has a temperature of 100.0°F/37.8°C or greater and/or symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus infection will need to stay home from school. A screening questionnaire will also need to be completed. There will be a process in place to complete this screening for students whose families are unable to complete this process at home.
Any individual who presents with a fever of 100.0°F/37.8°C or higher or has a positive response to a screening question will be isolated and dismissed from school
Students and staff will be required to notify the school when they develop symptoms or if their answers to the questionnaire change during or outside school hours. This information should be directed to the building nurse. Contact information for all BCSD building nurses’ offices can be found here.
If a student or staff member in the Bethlehem Central School District presents with symptoms of illness, the procedure would be as follows:
- Symptomatic students/staff would be immediately placed in a separate ‘isolation’ area, that is separate from students that visit the nurse’s office regularly for care of chronic conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, and other chronic syndromes) or for first aid treatment.
- The nurse will wear all appropriate PPE to assess the ill student/staff in the ‘isolation’ area, attending to appropriate hand hygiene.
- The ill student, if not already wearing a mask, will be provided a face covering as long as it is medically appropriate to do so.
- The nurse may determine the student with symptoms of illness will need to be dismissed to home, and will contact the parent/guardian for prompt pick up of the student.
- Staff who are ill/symptomatic will also be encouraged to contact their Supervisor and go home.
- Students with illness awaiting pick up from school will remain in the ‘isolation area’ until parent/guardian arrival.
- Administration may need to assist with coordination of gathering student belongings and coordinating the process by which the student can exit the building.
- The isolation area will need to be cleaned and disinfected after every encounter of a student or staff member requiring assessment. Health office staff will need to ensure that PPE supplies and cleaning supplies are kept stocked.
Social distancing, face coverings, and PPE
All persons in the Bethlehem Central School District must maintain social distancing of at least six feet when on school grounds and in school facilities to protect against the transmission of the COVID-19.
Specifically, appropriate social distancing means:
- six feet of space in all directions between individuals; or
- use of appropriate physical barriers between individuals that do not adversely affect air flow, heating, cooling, or ventilation, or otherwise present a health or safety risk.
If used, physical barriers must be put in place in accordance with United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, and may include strip curtains, cubicle walls, plexiglass or similar materials, or other impermeable divider or partition.
All schools will put in place measures to reduce congestion in common areas using tape or signs with arrows in hallways, or spaces throughout the school, and post signage and distance markers denoting spaces of six feet in all commonly used areas and any areas in which lines are commonly formed or people may congregate (e.g., outdoor spaces, libraries, classrooms, cafeterias, health screening stations).
The social distancing requirement impacts the capacity of each building and classroom in the District. More information about social distancing and classroom capacity can be found in the Instruction and Supports section of this plan.
Face coverings that cover both the nose and mouth will be required to be worn in school buildings and on school grounds. Face coverings will not be required during meals. Students will be provided short breaks during the school day when face coverings can be removed safely.
On school buses, face coverings for staff and students will be required at all times.
Students who are medically unable to tolerate a face covering will not be required to wear one.
Face coverings will be provided to students and staff, if needed, at no cost. Acceptable face coverings for COVID-19 include, but are not limited to, cloth-based coverings and surgical masks.
An employee is allowed to wear their own acceptable face covering. Employees with healthcare provider documentation stating they are not medically able to tolerate face covering will not be required to do so.
Face coverings may be challenging for students (especially younger students) to wear in all-day settings such as school, so there may be periods of time when masks are not worn. Students will be permitted to remove their face coverings at lunch, for snacks and at planned break times during the school day. Social distancing must be maintained during these times.
Face coverings should not be placed on:
- Children younger than 2 years old
- Students where such covering would impair their health or mental health, or where such covering would present a challenge, distraction, or obstruction to education services and instruction
- Anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious
- Anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance
The District will instruct students, parents/guardians and staff, contractors and vendors on:
- The proper way to wear face coverings
- Washing hands before putting on and after removing their face covering
- Proper way to discard disposable face coverings
Infection control strategies
Additional infection control strategies | Facility Alterations and Acquisition | Space Expansion | Tents for Additional Space | Plumbing Facilities and Fixtures | Ventilation | New Technology for Air Purification
The Bethlehem Central School District will implement infection control strategies including ensuring immediate closures of spaces where infected or potentially-infected individuals have spent time, isolating individuals in designated separate areas immediately, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer throughout the building, and using traffic control strategies while students move within the building.
At the elementary level, students in grades K through 5 will be in classrooms with a reduced number of students to allow for at least 6 feet of social distance in all instructional areas. Students are grouped in grade level cohorts to limit exposure to students in other grade levels. Lunch will be delivered to classrooms and protocols are in place for students to pre-order their meals. Special area classes will be provided in the classroom with the exception of physical education which can be provided outside or in the gym with 12 feet of social distancing. There will be limits on the amount of movement throughout the building for the youngest students.
Students in Grade 6 will be located at the middle school. Those students will be broken into appropriately sized sections to allow for at least 6 feet of social distancing in instructional spaces. Teachers will rotate classrooms to teach their various subject areas while students remain in the same space throughout the day with the exception of physical education and lunch.
Students in grades 7-12 will be using a hybrid model at BCMS and BCHS. This model allows for half of the students in those grade levels to attend in person with social distancing while the other half of students utilize remote learning. The in-person/remote learning would alternate daily, on an “A” Day or “B” Day-type rotation. Students in grades 7-12 will change classes. When students change classes throughout the day, they will follow social distancing and procedures with hallway arrows and signage, teachers will disinfect student desks and any other materials that would have been shared.
Additional infection control strategies
- Capacity/congestion relief: To reduce student congestion at building entrances, in hallways and in common areas, the District will use staggered schedules for student arrival and dismissal, where possible. Multiple entries will be used to redirect traffic flow. To allow for social distancing, reduced capacity and rotating schedules will reduce areas that are traditionally crowded.
- Increased ventilation: Increase flow of outdoor air to the greatest extent possible (such as opening windows and doors) while maintaining health and safety protocols.
- Open doors: To reduce the spread of the virus from touching door levers and knobs, faculty and staff will be instructed to have interior doors fixed in the open position. This is only permitted in areas that meet all fire and safety requirements.
- Plastic separators: The use of clear plastics will be considered for locations where social distance or mask requirements cannot be complied with or easily regulated.
- Portable hand sanitizer dispensers: Where there are limited hand-washing opportunities, alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers will be installed in rooms and corridors in limited quantities in accordance with health and safety regulations.
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Facility Alterations and Acquisition
Instruction will take place in classrooms using social distancing, limiting capacity. There are no plans to acquire new classroom space. All classrooms will be used as originally intended, for student instruction. Alterations to the configuration of existing classrooms is limited to the removal, where necessary, of partitions, bookcases, portable furniture, etc. to increase usable square footage. Tables will be replaced with desks that can be spaced 6 feet apart in all directions to comply with social distancing regulations. Where the use of cafeterias, libraries, auditoriums and gymnasiums is necessary to expand instructional capacity, minor alterations and the use of space dividers may be used.
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Space Expansion
No District space expansion is required at this time.
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Tents for Additional Space
The District is examining the feasibility of using temporary or permanent tents to expand opportunities for outdoor instruction or movement breaks. These structures must comply with regulatory building codes and fire codes as required by New York State.
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Plumbing Facilities and Fixtures
All bathrooms are currently designed with physical barriers between toilets and where necessary, there will be an installation of physical barriers where none exist in sink areas. Bathrooms will be monitored for capacity and will be cleaned and disinfected three times each day by BC custodial staff.
Touch-free paper towel dispensers will be available in lieu of air dryers.
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Ventilation
Outside air circulation will be increased as much as possible but fans will not be used. Teachers and staff will be encouraged to open windows and exterior doors when safe to do so and as conditions allow. The District will maintain adequate, code required ventilation as designed. The District’s energy management system will be adjusted to increase the percentage of outside air circulation from 10% to 22%.
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New Technology for Air Purification
No new technology for air purification is needed at this time.
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Management of ill persons, contact tracing, and monitoring
Aerosol Generating Procedures | If Students or Staff become Ill with Symptoms of COVID-19 at School | Return to School after Illness | Travel Advisory | COVID-19 Testing | Contact Tracing | School Closures
The District requires students, faculty, or staff members who develop COVID-19 symptoms during the school day to report to the nurse’s office. If there are several students waiting to see the school nurse, students must wait at least 6 feet apart. The District has designated areas to separate and isolate individuals with symptoms of COVID- 19 from others until they can go home or to a healthcare facility, depending on severity of illness. One area will be used to treat injuries, provide medications or treat chronic student illnesses, and the other area will be used for assessing and caring for students or staff presenting with suspected symptoms of COVID. Both areas will be supervised by an adult and have easy access to a bathroom and sink with hand hygiene supplies.
The following are the locations of isolation areas within each school building:
- Eagle Elementary School – Room 12 (Conference Room B)
- Elsmere Elementary School – Room 9
- Glenmont Elementary School – Room 29 (formerly Counseling Office)
- Hamagrael Elementary School – Room 16
- Slingerlands Elementary School – Room 18
- Middle School – Nurse’s Office (pre-existing)
- High School – Nurse’s Office (Left wing)
PPE requirements for school health office staff caring for sick individuals includes both standard and transmission-based precautions. In areas with moderate to substantial community transmission, eye protection (e.g., goggles or face shield) should be added. When caring for a suspect or confirmed individual with COVID-19, gloves, a gown, eye protection, and a fit-tested N-95 respirator will be used, if available. If an N-95 respirator is not available, a surgical face mask and face shield will be used.
School health office cleaning will occur after each use of cots, bathrooms, and health office equipment (e.g., blood pressure cuffs, otoscopes, stethoscopes). Health office equipment will be cleaned following manufacturers’ directions.
Disposable items will be used as much as possible (e.g., disposable pillow protectors, disposable thermometers, disposable thermometer sheaths or probes, disposable otoscope specula).
Aerosol Generating Procedures
Respiratory treatments administered by nurses generally result in aerosolization of respiratory secretions. These aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) potentially put healthcare personnel and others at an increased risk for pathogen exposure and infection. The District requires the following PPE to be worn during AGPs: gloves, N-95 or a surgical mask with face shield, eye protection and a gown. PPE will be used when: suctioning, administering nebulizer treatments, or using peak flow meters with students who have respiratory conditions.
Treatments such as nebulized medication treatments and oral or tracheostomy suctioning will be conducted in a room separate from others with nursing personnel wearing appropriate PPE. For nebulizer treatments, if developmentally appropriate, the nurse will leave the room and return when the nebulizer treatment is finished.
Cleaning of the room will occur between use and cleaning of the equipment should be done following manufacturer’s instructions after each use.
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If Students or Staff become Ill with Symptoms of COVID-19 at School
The District requires students or staff with a temperature, signs of illness, and/or a positive response to the questionnaire to be sent directly to a dedicated isolation area where students are supervised, prior to being picked up or otherwise sent home. Students will be supervised in the isolation area while awaiting transport home and will be separated by at least 6 feet. Students will be escorted from the isolation area to their parent/guardian. Students or staff will be instructed to call their health care provider, or if they do not have a health care provider, to follow up with a local clinic or urgent care center. Information regarding COVID-19 will be provided to parent/guardian and staff as appropriate.
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Return to School After Illness
The District will work in consultation with Albany County Department of Health and St. Peter’s Health Partners Slingerlands Pediatrics (District school physicians) on the requirements for determining when individuals, particularly students, who screened positive for COVID-19 symptoms can return to the in-person learning environment at school.
This protocol shall include, at minimum:
- Documentation from a health care provider following evaluation
- Negative COVID-19 diagnostic test result
- Symptom resolution, or if COVID-19 positive, release from isolation
The District will refer to DOH’s “Interim Guidance for Public and Private Employees Returning to Work Following COVID-19 Infection or Exposure” regarding protocols and policies for faculty and staff seeking to return to work after a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or after the faculty or staff member had close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19.
The District will work in coordination with Albany County Department of Health regarding individuals who were exposed to the COVID-19 virus and who may be required to quarantine before returning to in-person learning. The discharge of an individual from quarantine and return to school will be conducted in coordination with Albany County Department of Health.
The District will follow CDC guidance, along with guidance provided by school physicians, and ACDOH on allowing a student or staff member to return to school after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.
If a person is not diagnosed by a healthcare provider with COVID-19 they can return to school:
- Once there is no fever, without the use of fever reducing medicines, and they have felt well for 24 hours;
- If they have been diagnosed with another condition and have a healthcare provider written note stating they are clear to return to school.
If a person is diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider based on a test or their symptoms or does not get a COVID-19 test but has had the symptoms, they should not be at school and should stay at home until:
- It has been at least ten days since the individual first had symptoms;
- It has been at least three days since the individual has had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine); and
- It has been at least three days since the individual’s symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath.
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Travel Advisory
The district’s daily screening tool is an important part of the district’s reopening plan. Both staff and students will be required to use the online screening tool every day before coming to school. The screening is used to determine who can safely be at school based on observed symptoms, recent travel or possible exposure to COVID-19.
Any staff or students who travel out of the country or out of state to any location listed on the Governor’s Travel Advisory List will be required to quarantine for 14 days after returning to New York State. Persons who travel to any states listed on the Travel Advisory should self-report their travel to the school district. Employees report this information to their direct supervisor; families should report this information to their child’s school nurse. If a location has been removed from the travel advisory list while a person is serving their related 14-day mandatory quarantine, that person must still complete the full 14 days of mandatory quarantine before returning to school.
In the event that someone within a household travels to another country or a state on the travel advisory list and returns to New York State, but the student or staff member does not travel, that student or staff member may be allowed to return to school without a 14-day mandatory quarantine. In the event that a person in a household who has traveled tests positive for COVID-19, the Albany County Health Department will identify all household members as close contacts and quarantine all members of the household for 14 days.
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COVID-19 Testing
The District will comply with CDC guidance and not conduct COVID-19 testing or require testing of students or staff members. The decision of whether a test needs to be conducted should be determined by a healthcare provider or the local department of health. In the event that a large-scale testing will need to be conducted at the school, the District administration will work with the Albany County Department of Health to secure appropriate testing protocol.
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Contact Tracing
The District will notify the state and local health department immediately upon being informed of any positive COVID-19 diagnostic test result by an individual within school facilities or on school grounds, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors of the District.
Contact tracing is a public health function performed by local public health departments to trace all persons who had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Districts may assist with contact tracing by:
- Keeping accurate attendance records of students and staff members
- Ensuring student schedules are up to date
- Keeping a log of any visitor which includes date and time, and where in the school they visited
- Assisting the local health departments in tracing all contacts of the individual in accordance with the protocol, training, and tools provided through the NYS Contact Tracing Program
Based on data and recommendations provided by the Albany County Department of Health (ACDOH) regarding contact tracing, a decision to close an individual school building or the entire District will be made.
Confidentiality must be maintained as required by federal and state laws and regulations. School staff should not try to determine who is to be excluded from school based on contact without guidance and direction from ACDOH.
For more information about how COVID-19 containment efforts will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.
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School Closures
A closure refers to contingency plans, protocols, and procedures for decreasing the scale or scope of in- person education and/or closing the school. The District will collaborate with Albany County Health Department to determine the parameters, conditions or metrics (e.g., increased absenteeism or increased illness in school community) that will serve as early warning signs that positive COVID-19 cases may be increasing beyond an acceptable level.
- Schools will close if the regional infection rate rises over 9% after Aug. 1.
- Schools will close if the 7-day rolling average of the infection rate is above 9%.
- Schools in regions in Phase 4 can reopen if the daily infection rate remains below 5 percent using a 14-day average, unless otherwise directed from the Albany County Department of Health.
- If the infection rate rises about 9%, schools must wait until the 14-day average is below 5%
- Once schools open at Phase IV below 5% for a 14-day rolling average, schools can remain open even if the rate continues to rise about 5% until it reaches 9% for the 7-day average.
- The District will be notified by the Albany County Department of Health if the 7-day average reaches 9%.
- The District may consider closing school if absentee rates impact the ability of the school to operate safely.
- The District or a school may choose to modify operations prior to closing to help mitigate a rise in cases. If infection rates are rising above 5%; the District will consider modifying school operations for medically vulnerable students and staff if they are participating in in-person activities.
- The District will consult the school physicians St. Peter’s Health Partners Slingerlands Pediatrics and the Albany County Department of Health when making such decisions.
For more information about how school closure information will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.
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Health hygiene
Hand Hygiene | Respiratory Hygiene
The District will emphasize healthy hygiene practices for students and staff by providing initial and refresher education in hand and respiratory hygiene, along with providing adequate supplies and time for frequent hand hygiene. Signs will be posted throughout the school (e.g., entrances, restrooms, cafeteria, classrooms, administrative offices, auditorium, custodial staff areas) and regular messaging will be shared with the school community. Signage will be used to remind individuals to:
- Stay home if they feel sick.
- Cover their nose and mouth with an acceptable face covering when in school buildings or when social distancing of 6 feet or more is not possible.
- Properly store and, when necessary, discard PPE.
- Adhere to social distancing instructions.
- Report symptoms of, or exposure to, COVID-19.
- Follow hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfection guidelines.
- Follow respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.
Hand Hygiene
Students and staff must carry out the following hand hygiene practices.
- Wash hands routinely with soap (any kind) and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Dry hands completely after washing. Use paper towels to dry hands if available instead of a hand dryer if they are available.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizer should be rubbed on the hands until it is completely absorbed. DO NOT dry hands if sanitizer is used.
- Time will be provided in the schedule to allow for frequent hand washing.
Hand washing should occur:
- Before and after eating (e.g. snacks and lunch).
- After going to the restroom or after assisting a student with toileting.
- After using a tissue.
- Before and after using shared materials.
- Before and after putting on or taking off face masks.
- After coming in from the outdoors.
- Anytime hands are visibly soiled.
Respiratory Hygiene
The COVID-19 virus spreads from person to person in droplets produced by coughs and sneezes. Therefore, the District will emphasize the importance of respiratory hygiene.
Students and staff must carry out the following respiratory hygiene practices:
- Cover a cough or sneeze using a tissue. If a tissue is used, it should be thrown away immediately.
- If you don’t have a tissue when sneezing or coughing, sneeze into your elbow.
- Wash your hands after sneezing or coughing.
- Face coverings are protective. Wearing a face covering will keep the respiratory droplets and aerosols from being widely dispersed into the air.
For more information about how hygiene information will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.
Cleaning and disinfecting
The District will ensure adherence to hygiene and cleaning and disinfection requirements as advised by the CDC and DOH, including “Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public and Private Facilities for COVID-19,” and the “STOP THE SPREAD” poster, as applicable. Cleaning and disinfection logs will be maintained that include the date, time, and scope of cleaning and disinfection.
Examples of facility types where cleaning and disinfection frequency will be distinguished include:
- Bathrooms
- Athletic training rooms, locker rooms
- Health offices, isolation rooms
- Administrative offices (main office, reception area)
- Frequently touched surfaces in common areas (door handles, elevator buttons, copy machine keypads, etc.)
- Breakrooms
- Cafeterias/Kitchens
- Computer labs
- Science labs
- Classrooms
- Maintenance offices and work areas
- Bus Garage
- Buses, school vehicles
- Libraries
- Large meeting areas (auditoriums, gymnasiums, music rooms)
- Outdoor seating areas (plastic or metal)
Students, faculty, and staff will be trained on proper hand and respiratory hygiene, and such information will be provided to parents and/or legal guardians on ways to reinforce this at home.
The District will provide and maintain hand hygiene stations around the school, as follows:
- For handwashing: soap, running warm water, and disposable paper towels.
- For hand sanitizing: an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for areas where handwashing facilities may not be available or practical.
- Accommodations for students who cannot use hand sanitizer will be made.
Regular cleaning and disinfection of the facilities will occur, including more frequent cleaning and disinfection for high-risk and frequently touched surfaces. This will include desks and cafeteria tables, which should be cleaned and disinfected between each individual’s use. Cleaning and disinfection will be rigorous and ongoing and will occur at least daily, or more frequently as needed.
The District will ensure regular cleaning and disinfection of restrooms. Restrooms should be cleaned and disinfected more often depending on frequency of use.
For more information about how cleaning and disinfection information will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.
Vulnerable populations/accommodations
We recognize that some students and staff members are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness, live with a person who is at an increased risk, or simply do not feel comfortable returning to an in-person educational environment. It is our goal that these individuals are able to safely participate in educational activities. A remote learning option will be available for all students in grades K-12.
Visitors on campus
No outside visitors or volunteers will be allowed on school campuses, except for the safety and well-being of students. Parents/guardians will report to the front office and not go beyond unless it is for the safety or well-being of their child. Essential visitors to facilities will be required to wear face coverings and will be restricted in their access to our school buildings. All visitors, contractors and vendors will be required to submit a health questionnaire before being allowed inside a building. Kiosks outfitted with iPads will be set up at several locations throughout the District so visitors can access the online health questionnaire.
Visitors must follow all safety protocols as listed above.
School safety drills
The District will conduct fire (evacuation) drills and lockdown drills as required by education law and regulation and the fire code without exceptions. Schools must continue to conduct mandatory fire and lockdown drills according to the existing statutory schedule. Drills will be conducted in a manner that maintains social distancing at exits and gathering points outside the building, while still preparing students to respond in emergencies.
- Fire Code Section 404 requires that schools maintain Fire Safety, Evacuation, and Lockdown Plans and these plans include how lockdown and evacuation drills are conducted. Protocols will be in place to ensure adequate social distancing will be maintained while exiting, waiting to return, and re-entering the building. Staff members will regularly remind students of social distancing requirements and students will wear masks during this time.
- Education Law § 807 requires that schools conduct eight (8) evacuation and four (4) lockdown drills each school year.
- With the reduced number of students in each building each day, drills can be conducted similarly as they have been in the past with reminders about social distancing while moving through the building. With the alternating schedule at BCMS and BCHS drills will be conducted to ensure students following both schedules will have adequate opportunities to learn procedures.
- Students will be instructed that if it was an actual emergency that required evacuation or lockdown, the most imminent concern is to get to safety; maintaining social distancing in an actual emergency that requires evacuation or lockdown may not be possible and should not be the first priority.
Modifications to Lockdown Drills may include, but are not limited to:
- Conduct lockdown drills in classroom settings while maintaining social distancing/using masks.
- Conduct lockdown drills in the classroom without “hiding”/ “sheltering” but provide an overview of how to shelter or hide in the classroom.