Q: Are all students and staff be required to wear masks?
A: Yes, face coverings are required for all students and staff at all grade levels, as recommended by the CDC and the California Department of Public Health. Employees engaging in symptom screening will also wear face shields/safety glasses. Specialized service employees such as front office, food service and custodial will have additional PPE (personal protective equipment) available when necessary.
Q: How does the daily on-site health screening process work?
A: Each school site has developed site specific plans to conduct daily health screenings and to take temperature readings of students when they arrive at school. Staff members are conducting self-screenings and temperature checks daily. Parents are expected to complete a student health screening at home before school each day. Site-specific plans and maps can be found on the Return to Campus page on each school’s website.
Q: What do class sizes and social distancing look like?
A: Students are spaced six feet apart in classrooms and class sizes are structured accordingly. Physical distancing and the accompanying reduction in students per classroom drove the need for hybrid schedules that blend instructional time on campus and off campus. Schools may consider using every available instructional space on campus, which could include an MPR or gym.
Q: What preventative student hygiene is in place?
A: Every classroom has hand sanitizer supplied, and anyone entering a classroom (students/staff) is required to use it prior to entering the room. Teachers have been provided a hydrogen peroxide based, COVID-killing surface disinfectant (approved by the EPA) to be used as needed should there be shared classroom surfaces or desks. Hand washing is encouraged, sanitation stations are set up, and designated walking path routes around campus have been defined. See school websites for individual traffic flow maps, temperature check stations, and more. (For more on campus cleaning and disinfecting, see the
Campus Safety page and questions under “Campus Safety.”)
Q: If a student/staff member presents COVID symptoms while at school, what happens?
A: Anyone presenting with symptoms of illness while at school will be sent home. A student would be taken to an adult-supervised care room until a parent/guardian can pick him/her up. A person with symptoms would remain home for 10 days after showing symptoms and after they have been fever-free for 24 hours; he/she would be allowed to return sooner if they test negative on a COVID test and the symptoms have resolved. Students in the same household would also need to quarantine or test negative before returning to campus. (For complete contact tracing protocols and quarantine guidelines, see the “COVID-19 & Quarantine Guidelines” section on the
Student and Staff Health page.)
Q: What happens if someone who was on campus tests positive for COVID?
A: Cases are reviewed on an individual basis and appropriate action taken accordingly. The Fresno County Department of Public Health has established an Academic Setting Medical Investigation Team that works with us to identify and complete appropriate notification and action dependent on each unique situation. A positive case is reported to the County and a tracing investigation is conducted to determine the contact source and exposure risks. A positive case is handled differently based on the type, frequency and health and safety measures followed in the person-to-person interaction. In the event of a positive case, Clovis Unified has a trained COVID Response Team that would be called to disinfect a classroom or area.
Q: Will staff be tested regularly for COVID?
A: Because our schools have opened for on-site instruction, Clovis Unified is participating in surveillance testing coordinated by the Fresno County Department of Public Health.
Q: How is the District ensuring enforcement of all the guidance and safety protocols? Are there consequences for non-compliant for students AND staff?
A: Consistent enforcement of health and safety protocols is expected and monitored by site administrators who are regularly responsible for enforcing school rules.
Q: What training has staff received to support health and safety protocols?
A: All employees have completed the following training through the Clovis Unified Human Resources Office:
- COVID-19 - How to Clean and Disinfect Your Schools
- COVID-19 - How to Protect Yourself and Others
- Additional trainings are provided as needed.