School building safety precautions

March 31, 2020

Re: School building safety precautions

Dear School Leaders, 

While the vast majority of school districts are acting responsibly and cautiously as we prepare for distance learning, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) continues to receive troubling reports of administrators requiring large numbers of staff to report to school buildings for various tasks. Many of these staff members have expressed concerns for their safety, and rightly so. The OSDE has issued periodic FAQs regarding school operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Department will continue to do so, but I realize the amount of information coming at you from all quarters can be overwhelming. 

Let me be direct. 

Do not direct staff to a school building unless they are performing an essential function. Distance-learning facilitation is deemed essential under the March 25 order of the State Board of Education (along with essential clerical, child nutrition and administrative activities and services), but I implore district leaders to be very conservative about what duties are defined as essential. Please bear in mind that coronavirus is extremely contagious and poses a lethal threat to a significant portion of the population. Remember, too, that many people who have the virus may have no symptoms whatsoever even as they inadvertently spread the disease.   

We realize that distance learning might require some sporadic work to be conducted inside school buildings. If these circumstances are truly unavoidable, it is critical that districts strictly follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. We must practice social distancing with vigilance to ensure the safety of our students, school staff and communities.  

CDC guidelines have been modified as needed throughout this crisis, but the following are key safety practices: 

• Limit any gathering to no more than 10 individuals 

• Maintain at least six feet of distance between individuals at all times 

• Adhere to sneeze and cough etiquette 

• Wash hands vigorously and routinely, particularly before and after entering buildings, when handling items or in public areas 

Other cautionary practices are also advisable:  

• Allow entry to the building on an appointment-only basis   

• Disinfect commonly touched surfaces frequently 

• Take the temperature of anyone planning to enter the building to ensure that no one with fever is given access 

• Wear disposable gloves when handling items if possible 

• Deliver items (laptops, tablets, critical personal items, etc.) to families curbside or outside the building  

•  Do not make physical contact with anyone outside of your immediate household  

Providing distance-learning instruction for our children – and helping ensure a semblance of normalcy for them in the midst of this unprecedented time – is vitally important. That mission, however, pales beside our collective commitment to protect the health and well being of our students, our staff, our families, our neighbors, our friends and our communities. 

We are all in this together.