American Rescue Plan (ESSER)

• Students and adults entering Brentwood School District facilities will be expected to self-screen at home before coming to school. Students who are being kept home due to illness will complete an additional screener with school staff to determine if they are at risk for COVID-19 and should take additional precautions. 

• Visitors to buildings will be limited, but those who must enter will be asked to complete a self-screening questionnaire.

• Students and adults who are experiencing the following symptoms should not come to school:

  • A fever (100 degrees or higher) or a sense of having a fever

    • Students and adults should be fever free without the aid of fever reducers such as Tylenol or Motrin. Reducing the symptom of fever does not protect others from viruses such as COVID-19.

  • A new cough that you cannot attribute to another health condition

  • New shortness of breath that you cannot attribute to another health condition

  • The loss of any sense of smell or taste

  • A new sore throat that you cannot attribute to another health condition

  • New muscle aches or headaches that cannot attribute to another health condition, or that were caused by a specific activity such as physical exercise

• We want our students in school, but safety is our top priority. As with any absence, students who are gone for extended periods of time will have the opportunity to make up their homework and will be expected to return to school when cleared by a doctor ready and prepared to continue their education.

• Students or staff with suspected COVID-19 symptoms will be referred to local resources for testing.

Masks are optional for all students and staff throughout the district (Grades PK-12) with the exception of the following:

• In the event any building reaches a 5% positivity rate among students and staff, the building will begin requiring masks for everyone for a minimum of five (5) days. After 5 days, if the numbers have receded, the building may return to mask optional.
• Students or staff who return from isolation or exclusion as a result of positive COVID-19 cases will be required to wear masks for five days. 

We strongly encourage those who are not fully vaccinated to continue to wear masks, particularly when social distancing is not an option. Please continue reading for more information on vaccines.

• Students and adults are expected to maintain social distancing wherever possible.

• Schedules may be staggered to reduce traffic in hallways and corridors.

• An isolation room for any student or adult exhibiting symptoms has been identified at every building to help limit potential spread.

• School entrances and exits may be reconfigured to manage traffic flow. See updates from your building principal before the beginning of the year to know how the flow might change for your specific building.

• Students will be provided additional time when needed throughout the day to wash hands or utilize hand sanitizer stations throughout the buildings. In particular, students and adults are encouraged to wash hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering a building, before eating, after eating, after restroom usage, before any group activities, and before entering vehicles.

• Students and adults are also recommended to wash hands any time the face or mouth are touched.

• There are many resources on proper hand washing protocol which can be found on our website.

Cleaning & Sanitation

• Surfaces will be sanitized multiple times a day with an EPA registered disinfectant that is approved for use against SARS-CoV-2.

• Cleaning and disinfection will follow CDC guidance.

• Restrooms are to be cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.

• All paper towels and soap dispensers to be touchless and battery operated.

• Disinfectant bottles and cleaning rags will be placed throughout the building in designated areas for easy access by staff.

• An electrostatic spraying system will be utilized on a rotating basis for all campuses and as needed for any COVID event that does arise.

• Custodial staff are scheduled to clean during the day and in the evening at each building. While students are in attendance, custodians will make frequent rounds in the buildings to clean restrooms, disinfect high-touch surfaces, cafeterias, and attend any cleaning requests. Evening custodians are assigned to thoroughly clean and disinfect all areas of the building after students are released.

Water Fountains

• Water fountains throughout the building may be turned off as a safety precaution, the exception is any water fountain that has a bottle refill station.

• Staff will provide students with access to water throughout the day in a way that limits group congregation and potential contact between individuals and the same surface.

Restrooms

• Custodial staff will frequently clean restrooms and disinfect high-touch surfaces throughout the day. At least once daily, restrooms will be deep cleaned with more rigorous cleaning procedures.

• Many grade levels and classes will have scheduled restroom breaks.

Signage

• Signage will be clearly posted at all entries on procedures for entering our campuses.

• Visitor guides and health updates will be posted and updated regularly.

Health Protocols - Confirmed Case

If an individual within a school building tests positive for COVID-19, Brentwood administrators will work directly with families and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to make recommendations. Active cases are recorded on the district's Incident Dashboard. In general, the community may expect the following to occur when there are a number of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a building:

• If a positive case is confirmed in a building, the Facilities and Custodial team will initiate an in-depth cleaning protocol for all affected areas. For details on cleaning protocols, please see the Facilities & Environment section of this document.

• In the event any building reaches a 5% positivity rate among students and staff, the building will begin requiring masks for everyone for a minimum of five (5) days. After 5 days, if the numbers have receded, the building may return to mask optional.

• In the event multiple cases of COVID-19 are determined to have been in the building and there is a risk to the staff or students, a school may close for 1-2 days for cleaning and disinfection of that building or exposed area if unable to clean during the nighttime closing.

• The district may seek closure of a particular classroom, building, or buildings depending on the extent of positive cases. The St. Louis County DPH will provide guidance whenever a positive case appears in one of our buildings regarding closure.

If an individual within a school building experiences any symptoms of COVID-19, the nurse will follow guidelines from the St. Louis County DPH to isolate a sick student or staff member. Students experiencing symptoms will be sent home. Parents are expected to make arrangements to have a student picked up as quickly as possible should they exhibit symptoms during the school day.

• Each school has identified a space where a student can be isolated until a parent/guardian is able to pick them up. Families should have a plan in place to quickly pick up a student who experiences symptoms during the school day. Staff members experiencing symptoms will be sent home immediately.

• In order to return to school, students and families should expect to have documentation from a physician’s office or the Department of Public Health.

• Upon returning to school once a student is at least 24=hours symptom free, they will be expected to wear a mask for a minimum of 5 days.

The district strongly recommends vaccinations for all eligible staff, families, and students. Fully vaccinated individuals help stop the spread of the virus. Students who are fully vaccinated are also at lower risk of needing to be quarantined for long periods of time and missing valuable time inside the classroom. The district has hosted events to vaccinate students and will continue to share opportunities to the community for individuals who are eligible to receive the vaccine.

We understand that some people may be concerned about getting vaccinated now that COVID-19 vaccines are available in the United States. While more COVID-19 vaccines are being developed as quickly as possible, routine processes and procedures remain in place to ensure the safety of any vaccine that is authorized or approved for use. Safety is a top priority, and there are many reasons to get vaccinated.

Can a COVID-19 vaccine make me sick with COVID-19? No. None of the COVID-19 vaccines contain the live virus that causes COVID-19 so a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.

Brentwood School District and its educational partner, Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD), will collaborate to provide accommodations as needed or mandated by a student's IEP.