by Rachel Hunter
The GCS Board of Education held a public hearing on Jan. 25 to discuss the Gouverneur Central School District’s Continuity of Operations Plan in order to comply with Chapter 168 of the Laws of 2020 that require public employers, including public school districts, to adopt a continuation of operations plan in the event that the governor declares a public health emergency involving communicable disease.
This Plan will become part of the District Safety Plan and includes protocols for responding to a declared public health emergency involving a communicable disease.
The draft plan has been posted on the GCSD website and Facebook page. The public is welcome to submit any comments or questions about the Plan by leaving them on the Facebook page or sending them to PandemicPlan@gcsk12.org by February 24, 2021.
Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Lauren French emphasized that the list and description of positions and titles considered essential in the event of a state-ordered reduction of in-person workforce refers to location, not the value of the service.
“This did go through our District Shared Decision Making Team,” Superintendent French said. “So individuals across the community did help, and made some great suggestions that we were able to incorporate. The most difficult thing to wrap your head around is the difference between essential and non-essential. They are not talking about the value of the person’s contribution to the school. They are talking about the location the person has to be in… The easiest way to explain it is the person who runs the copier is an essential worker, because she can only run the copy machine at school. She cannot perform 1,000 copies per day from her kitchen. On the other hand, we can have one our nurses who does the records, she can actually work from her home on an Internet connection, and maintain all of the records that we need for this pandemic. So when you are struggling with a word, and somebody says, “Well, why is a teacher not essential?” If a school building is closed, the teacher is more able to work from a home environment or other place with Internet access. I did take a lot of questions on that, and people did not like that vocabulary. But one of the things that is important is these words are used consistently across the state. Then, when we do a shelter-in-place or a lockdown, those terms are consistent – whether you are in Gouverneur or Westchester County. So, we had to keep with the vocabulary and the tier designation that was given to us in the template to fill in.”
For the purposes of identifying “essential” workers, the Gouverneur Central School District has established three tiers of essential workers. Tier I: encompasses any position in which it is essential (with no exceptions) for the employee to be on campus or in person to perform all of their job duties. Tier II: encompasses positions in which it is essential for the employee to be on campus (in person) to perform some of their job duties, but some duties can be performed remotely. Tier III: encompasses positions in which it is not essential for the employee to be on campus or in person to perform their duties, all of their duties can be performed remotely, except for potential exigencies that must be performed in person. The full list can be viewable in the Plan, which has been posted on the GCSD website.
The 11-page document also details the protocols GCSD will follow in order to enable all non-essential employees and contractors to telecommute including, but not limited to, facilitating or requesting the procurement, distribution, downloading and installation of any needed devices or technology, including software, data, office laptops or cell phones, and the transferring of office phone lines to work or personal cell phones as practicable or applicable to the workplace.
“The Gouverneur CSD will work with employees to provide access to technology. Administration will conduct a survey among employees to collect information about the numbers, types, and condition of devices used for necessary job functions, as well as any lack of internet service. GCSD will designate a single point of contact in each work location to plan and communicate with supervisors as information from surveys becomes available. We will include opportunities for training and support for employees to adapt to remote work. We will identify a device and/or general technology support person for each work location and establish an IT helpdesk hotline for troubleshooting issues remotely. This information will be published on the employee intranet. GCSD will develop procedures for the return and inventory of district-owned devices as part of a return-to-work technology plan. We will develop on-site triage of staff and student devices in partnership with BOCES IT service to minimize the time that staff may be without a device. We will develop a technology support plan for employees that includes options for employees without internet access. These options could include specific use of school space and safe resources. Employees will continue to comply with applicable laws and cybersecurity guidelines. Devices will be provided by the employer and equipped with antivirus and applicable security settings including pre-loaded software programs and applications. Employees should refrain from using personal devices to complete work duties. Any adjustments to the provided devices should be arranged through the technology services and/or local IT helpdesk staff. All connections will be via secure transmissions either through the vendor/website or a secure VPN service. The return-to-work procedures will include: Safely bagging devices collected at work locations; Sanitizing the devices prior to a repair or replacement evaluation; Ordering accessories that may be needed over the summer; Conducting prepared maintenance routines to remove malware and fix standard issues including screen, keyboard, or battery replacement; Utilize existing asset tracking tools; and » Identify a team to assist with processing, returning, and maintaining devices, if needed.”
The document also tells how GCSD will, to the extent possible, stagger work shifts of essential employees and contractors in order to reduce overcrowding on public transportation systems and at worksites.
“In the event that building capacity must be reduced, to avoid overcrowding of entrance and exit points, work shifts of Tier I essential employees shall be staggered through arrival and departure times. Tier II essential employees shall be staggered by having these employees perform duties that must be performed in person at different times or days such that the fewest number of Tier II essential employees will be in person at any given time. Similarly, Tier III essential employees, when responding to an exigency that requires in person presence, will to the extent possible based on the exigency, report to the worksite and leave the worksite at times when the fewest number of essential employees are at the worksite. Entrance and exit locations will be assigned as appropriate to significantly reduce areas of congregation. Should the need arise to limit building occupancy and/or stagger work schedules and shifts, each supervisor will develop a weekly or bi-weekly schedule that establishes adjusted shifts, hours, or days for in-person reporting and will share that schedule with employees via email or other electronic means. Gouverneur uses One Call Now as a District resource.”
The document also detail the protocol that GCSD will implement in order to procure the appropriate personal protective equipment for essential employees and contractors, based upon the various tasks and needs of such employees and contractors in a quantity sufficient to provide at least two pieces of each type of personal protective equipment to each essential employee and contractor during any given work shift over at least six months. “Ordering of Supplies will be an essential part of safe operations due to requirements for PPE and additional disinfection and cleaning products. The Gouverneur CSD has designated a single point of contact for ordering supplies and maintaining an inventory throughout the school year to ensure adequate PPE and cleaning supplies are available at all times. The Gouverneur CSD will follow proper procurement procedures to order these supplies.”
The GCSD estimates the quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed as follows: For Tier I, there are 45 essential workers with 20 expected in-person shifts per month. The quantity needed per day is 45, and the quantity needed per six-month period is 5400. For Tier II, there are 38 essential workers with 20 expected in-person shifts per month. The quantity needed per day is 38, and the quantity needed per six-month period is 3448. For Tier III, there are three essential workers with 20 expected in-person shifts per month. The quantity needed per day is three, and the quantity needed per six-month period is 270. PPE will be stored in designated supply closets and storage rooms, which are easily accessed, in each work location. A listing of inventory in each storage location will be posted visibly in each location.
The document also outlined the following screening and isolation procedures: “The Gouverneur CSD will conduct mandatory daily screening in accordance with existing privacy laws among employees prior to entry of the work location via an electronic questionnaire. This screening questionnaire will ask employees to report any COVID-like symptoms, contact with positive individuals, travel to restricted areas, or known positive COVID-19 test results. It will also prompt employees to contact their supervisor to discuss other concerns not listed before entering the worksite. A failed screening will immediately notify both the head nurse and the employee’s supervisor who will advise the employee not to report to work. Results of the screening questionnaire populate a spreadsheet by which the Head Nurse tracks all quarantines, COVID-related leaves, and other relevant metrics. The supervisor and COVID-19 Safety Officer will work together in partnership with the Department of Public Health to advise the employee on proper protocols given his/her specific situation and to assist in contract tracing when necessary. If an employee develops symptoms at work, GCSD will immediately separate students and staff with COVID-19 symptoms by moving them to an isolation room or area. Each work location has designated an isolation room (separate from the nurse or health office), which is separated from the rest of the building. This room will be used in the event that a person becomes ill or begins to display COVID-19 symptoms during the school or work day. Whenever possible, the room will be located as close to an exit as possible, or have an outside exit within the room. For the purposes of contact tracing, Gouverneur will log all persons who entered the room. Individuals who are sick should go home or to a healthcare facility, seek COVID-19 testing, and should follow CDC guidance for caring for oneself. Individuals should also watch for emergency symptoms and seek emergency medical care if symptoms occur. Contact tracing will be conducted for the person placed in the isolation room. As part of symptom screening, Gouverneur is prepared to refer symptomatic individuals to an appropriate healthcare provider or testing site. State, Tribal, territorial, and local health officials and/or healthcare providers will determine when viral testing for COVID-19 is appropriate.”
GCS also outlined their cleaning and disinfection protocols, and stated that the responsibility of disinfection and cleaning will lie solely with custodial/maintenance/building and grounds staff. “These workers have undergone specific training related to CDC approved methods of cleaning and handling of cleaning products. Other non-custodial employees are prohibited from bringing their own cleaning products from home, including aerosols, wipes, or sprays. Exceptions may be made in certain cases as determined by the Director of Facilities. Prescribed methods: According to the CDC, reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by cleaning and disinfection is an important part of maintaining public spaces. The virus that causes COVID-19 can be killed if the right products are used. The EPA has compiled a list of disinfectant products that can be used against COVID-19, including ready-to-use sprays, concentrates, and wipes. Each product has been shown to be effective against viruses that are harder to kill than viruses like the one that causes COVID-19. Custodial staff have undergone specific training on using EPA approved cleaning products to properly disinfect and clean areas. In the event of a positive case in the building: Timing and location of cleaning and disinfection of surfaces: At a school or central office: Close off areas visited by the ill persons. If possible, open outside doors and windows and use ventilating fans to increase air circulation in the area. Wait 24 hours or as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection. Cleaning staff should clean and disinfect all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment (like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls) used by the ill persons, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces. If it has been more than seven days since the person with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary. Notification of Positive Cases In the event of a positive case of COVID-19 among the Gouverneur employees, a notification will be posted on STEW with the location of the positive case. No details or identifying information will be shared. In some cases, Gouverneur administrators may contact employees to inform them of possible contact and advise them not to report to work until Public Health officials have completed official contact tracing procedures.”
The draft document also outlined the protocol for documenting precise hours and work locations, including off-site visits, for essential employees and contractors. The protocol shall be designed only to aid in tracking of the disease and to identify the population of exposed employees and contractors in order to facilitate the provision of any benefits which may be available to certain employees and contractors on that basis. “Gouverneur CSD will maintain a record of precise hours and work locations and will utilize Aesop to track attendance for all employees. Each work location will maintain a record of visitors by requiring sign-ins upon entry. Each classroom will also maintain a log of visitors each day to determine movement within the buildings.”
It also outlined the protocol for how GCSD will work to identify sites for emergency housing for essential employees in order to further contain the spread of the communicable disease that is the subject of the declared emergency, to the extent applicable to the needs of the workplace. “In the event that an essential employee is in need of emergency housing, Gouverneur CSD will refer the employee to the appropriate public health contact who will secure available emergency housing. When necessary, Gouverneur CSD will communicate with local public health officials to identify the employee as an essential worker.”
The following essential phone numbers were also included in the draft document: Food orders during the pandemic can be placed with Heather Hollis - 315-287-1690 Contact with Head Nurse Bev Martin -318-287-1902 Changes or concerns with transportation First Student 315-287-0650 Registration Needs: Mrs. Porter 315-287-1949 Elementary Concerns: Ms. Zawatski, Principal 315-287-2260 Middle School Concerns: Mrs. Sullivan, Principal 315-287-1903 High School Concerns: Mr. Wood, Principal 315-287-1900 District Concerns: Lauren F. French, Superintendent 315-287-4207 Remote help desk - 315-287-7681.
The Gouverneur Central School District said its guiding principle will not waiver… all decisions will be made on keeping all people safe. The draft plan has been posted on the GCSD website and Facebook page. The public is welcome to submit any comments or questions about the Plan by leaving them on the Facebook page or sending them to PandemicPlan@gcsk12.org by February 24, 2021.