• Parents are responsible for conducting self-screenings and temperature checks of their children before boarding the school bus or entering campus. Parents must ensure they do not send their child to school if their child has COVID-19 symptoms or has a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19. While students are waiting to receive confirmation from a lab test, they may still be marked “present” for school if they participate in instruction remotely through Schoology.
• If a student becomes ill while on campus or in a classroom, staff members will refer the student to the nurse’s office and/or isolation area to be evaluated. School nurses will check students’ temperatures and determine next steps.

• To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, masks will be worn by all medically and developmentally able staff, students, and visitors.
• All staff will receive a 3-ply disposable mask provided by the District.
• Students must put on a mask prior to boarding the school bus. They must continue to wear masks on campus at all times. Masks must be worn over the mouth and nose.
• If a student forgets to bring their mask on a given day, the district will provide a disposable mask. Repeated occurrences will result in conferences with administration and, if necessary, a change from in-person to remote learning.
• Campuses may provide short, defined breaks for students to remove masks if students are outdoors and adhering to social distancing requirements.
• Very young children who struggle to tolerate a mask will be encouraged to build mask stamina each day. Students who are physically unable to remove their own masks will not be required to wear a mask.
• Students, staff, and visitors may also choose to wear a face shield in addition to a mask; however a face shield is not a replacement for a mask.
• View the Tips for Wearing a Mask video from Johns Hopkins Medicine for details.
• For more information regarding masks, including the correct way to wear a mask and what types of masks are not recommended by the CDC, please see the Appendix of the Health and Safety Guidelines and Protocols document.

Alief ISD high school students whose parents selected in-person instruction can view the high school hybrid schedules.

• Students are required to wear masks at all times on the school bus.
• Hand sanitizer will be provided for students and staff who use school buses
• Students and staff are required to use hand sanitizer when entering and exiting the bus
• Whenever possible, students should sit one student per bench to enable social distancing. If this is impossible given the number of students on a route, students should be seated as far apart as possible. Siblings may sit together during transport.
• If weather permits, bus drivers will open windows to allow outside air to circulate.
• The district will encourage families to use alternate modes of transportation (individual drop off and pick up, carpooling, walking, etc.) to reduce bus ridership and the possibility of COVID-19 exposure on buses.
• Bus drivers will receive cleaning supplies to thoroughly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces such as bus seats, knobs, door handles, steering wheels, and the driver’s area after each run.
• Bus drivers will clean and disinfect the bus at the end of the school day.

• Elementary students’ meals should be eaten in the classroom.
• Secondary students who must line up for food pick-up will follow CDC guidelines by floor markings that outline a 6-foot distance between any two students.
• Secondary students eating meals in the cafeteria or designated areas must sit 6 feet apart. Cafeteria tables/chairs must be marked to establish 6 feet of spacing.
  • Barriers between tables/chairs may be used to assist in maintaining the 6 feet of spacing.
  • Staff will monitor students in cafeteria/eating areas to ensure that students are not mingling and maintain a 6-foot distance between any two students.
  • To support social distancing, students should have an assigned seat for meals whenever feasible
  • Campus leaders will create meal schedules that support social distancing.
• Cafeteria service will provide “Grab and go” meals while also maintaining adherence to nutrition reimbursement requirements
• Off-campus lunch privileges will be suspended until further notice

• Arrival
  • Schools will designate separate entry points for different groups of students in order to spread out arrivals (e.g. day care, car riders, bus riders, walkers). Entry points will be staffed with appropriate numbers of adults to communicate expectations and ensure social distancing
  • Parents will not be allowed to enter the campus for morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up
  • Schools will schedule/station staff to support distancing upon entry and immediate transition to classrooms. Schools will stagger arrival times of staff to assist in early morning duty.
• Dismissal
  • Schools will designate exit points for students and implement contactless exit and delivery to cars. When that is not possible, schools will provide gloves to staff.
  • Schools will station staff members to support social distancing and monitoring of students’ exit.
  • Schools will utilize the public announcement system and/or video delivery system to communicate dismissal expectations and to call for students’ exit to day care, cars, and buses (staggered dismissals).
  • Staff hours may need to be adjusted to accommodate dismissal start time.

• Teachers will make adjustments to ensure that students are not sharing school supplies or instructional materials.
• Teachers will lead recess/wellness activities while practicing social distancing. Playground equipment will not be utilized during recess, wellness activities, or mental breaks.
• Campus principals at elementary/intermediate campuses will create rotating schedules for mental wellness breaks throughout the day.
• Campuses will ask parents to provide labeled water bottles that will be kept on students’ desks. Water fountains will be non-operational.

• Schools may continue to offer extracurricular activities at their discretion and consistent with the guidance in this document, for non-UIL extracurricular activities and with the guidance found on the UIL website for all UIL activities.
• Under Alief ISD guidelines, UIL, after-school activities, and field trips will be suspended while the district provides 100% Alief Learns at Home instruction.
• Operation of the facilities should be done consistent with the governor’s executive orders when UIL events and district events are allowed.
• Specific UIL safety protocols are defined in the Return to Play Athletic and Fine Arts Guidelines.

• On-Campus Student Absences:  If an on-campus student is absent for a reason that is acceptable to the administrator, the student can still earn the daily attendance credit by fulfilling the remote attendance requirement. A staff member will need to call the student about working in Schoology to be counted present remotely.
• If a student is unable to attend school (including remote learning) because the student is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or because the student has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the absence is to be recorded as an excused absence. As with any medically excused absence, the student will be required to provide documentation.