The Dillon District Four School Board was presented several policies at their meeting on Monday night, many of which were related to COVID-19.
FACE
COVERINGS
The first policy presented was face coverings. It states the following:
To reduce the spread of the pandemic (Covid-19), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that a face covering be worn in public settings when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. The district will consider the circumstances in the community and consult local health officials for the implementation of this policy.
Definitions
A face covering is a piece of fabric, cloth, or other material that covers the wearer’s nose, mouth, and chin simultaneously and is secured to the wearer’s face by elastic, ties, or other means. Acceptable face coverings may be homemade, and they may be reusable or disposable.
A face shield made of flexible plastic that wraps around the wearers face and extends below his/her chin may also be used as a face covering.
Staff Members
Staff members (will) wear a face covering while on district property or conducting business on behalf of the district (e.g. driving a bus, conducting a home visit, supervising athletic events, etc.). Staff members include, but are not limited to, salaried and hourly employees, school volunteers, student teachers, and interns. The district (will) provide masks to staff members and expects that reusable masks will be washed regularly to ensure maximum protection.
Students
All students will wear face coverings while on district property, on district transportation, or attending a school related activity (e.g. athletic events, field trips, etc.). Certain classes or activities may be granted a limited exception to this requirement at the discretion of the superintendent or his/her designee. Exceptions for wearing a face covering may include, but are not limited to, the following activities: mealtimes, outdoor recess where students can maintain a physical distance of at least six (6) feet, and administration of medication.
Visitors
Non-essential visitors to district buildings will be limited in accordance with administrative rule KI-R, Visitors. Visitors include, but are not limited to, parents/legal guardians, contract service providers, and delivery persons. Visitors will wear a face covering while on district property. Visitors will be asked to leave district property if they refuse to wear a face covering.
Accommodations
Request for exceptions under this policy for health or developmental conditions or religious exception will be considered by the superintendent or his/her designee, who may request documentation justifying the exception.
Students (or parents/legal guardians) who request to be exempted form wearing a face covering for other than a health or developmental condition or religious exemption will be offered virtual learning for the period that face coverings are required on district property.
Harassment and Bullying
The district will not tolerate harassment of anyone wearing face coverings or those with recognized exemptions to the face covering requirement and will appropriately discipline students, staff, or visitors who engage in behavior that interferers with any student or staff members ability to comply with this policy.
Discipline
Failure or refusal to wear a face covering by staff member or student may result in discipline in accordance with district policy and codes of conduct, as applicable.
This policy intended to be effective until further notice and to align with district policies, including, but not limited to, student and staff dress codes. To the extent this policy does no algin, this policy will supersede others in accordance with applicable law and regulations in effect at the time. For clarification on potential conflicts between policies, the interpretation of the superintendent or his/her designee is final.
The board authorizes the superintendent or his/her designee to amend these requirements as necessary to meet health and safety guidelines.
STUDENT
ATTENDANCE
The second policy was student attendance. It states the following:
State law requires all children of compulsory attendance age to regularly attend school. Regular attendance is necessary if students are to make the desired and expected academic progress. Therefore, the board authorizes the administration to implement procedures to ensure student attendance is maintained during the pandemic (COVID-19), ensuring that absences are recorded, and truancy is reported in accordance with policy JH, Student Absences and Excuses.
Onsite Attendance
Attendance is determined by whether a student is physically present in a classroom on school grounds or school property. Staff members will take attendance following the normal procedures set forth in district policy. Students who are not sick, but who are required to quarantine, or self-isolate will be provided the opportunity to participate in virtual instruction utilizing various instructional strategies as determined by the district. While under quarantine or self-isolation, such students will be subject to the attendance procedures as set forth below for students regularly receiving virtual instruction.
Virtual Attendance
Attendance is determined by whether a student submits work and participates in activities assigned by the teacher. Students who do not turn in assignments and participate in virtual learning activities as set forth in classroom procedures will be considered absent. Such absences will be process in accordance with policy JH.
Students who are sick due to COVID-19 will be considered lawfully absent in accordance with policy JH. If the illness if prolonged, such students will be eligible for medical homebound instruction as set forth in policy IHBF.
Attendance for
a Hybrid Schedule
Students participating in a combination of onsite and virtual instruction will be subject to both attendance procedures set forth above. Onsite attendance will be determined by students’ physical presence in the classroom and for virtual attendance, students must adhere to the classroom assignment rules established by each teacher to be considered present.
Truancy
State laws and regulations determining absences and truancy are applicable for both onsite and virtual instruction. Staff members will follow policy JH regarding continued absences and the following guidelines: When excessive absences become a pattern, the principal or his/her designee will oversee the development and implementation of a written intervention plan designed to improve student attendance.
VIRTUAL BOARD
MEETINGS
The third policy was virtual board meetings. It states the following:
To execute the duties of their elected office, it is generally expected that board members will be physically present at board meetings. However, when emergency circumstances exist that make holding a physical board meeting impossible or inadvisable, the chair, in consultation with the superintendent, may determine it is reasonably necessary and appropriate to hold a virtual board meeting. The board recognizes that virtual meeting is a necessity to continue the business and operation of the district, which requires official decision-making and action by the board.
Notice Virtual Meetings
In accordance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), public notice, including notification to the media, will be provided for all virtual meetings. An agenda, along with detailed information on how members of the public and the media can access the virtual meeting, will be posted in a prominent location on the district’s website and, if feasible, posted at the boards typical physical meeting location.
Disconnection/Technical Difficulties
If at any time during a virtual meeting, a quorum of the board is not present, the meeting will not continue until a quorum is reached. If continuing the meting is not feasible the meeting will end and be rescheduled with appropriate public notice.
Disconnection of
board member
If a board member is disconnected from the virtual meeting due to a technology failure, the chair will call a temporary recess in order to attempt reconnecting the board member. Such recess will be for no long that 10 minutes to provide a reasonable opportunity for the board member to reconnect without excessive delay of the meeting.
If the board members access issues cannot be adequately resolved, but the board member also has not voluntarily withdrawn from the meeting, then the remaining members of the board will make a determination whether or not to continue the meeting without the board member, taking into account factors such as the apparent reason9s) for the access issues and the time sensitivity and importance of any of the remaining items of business, including the feasibility of rescheduling some or all of the remaining agenda items of the meeting.
Minutes
Minutes for virtual meetings will be made available in accordance with the FOIA.
Other policies presented included Remote Work, the Families First Coronavirus Response Retaliation (Staff), and Sexual Harassment and Retaliation (Students). Also presented was the Dillon School District Four Organizational Chart.
