ARRIVAL

- Parents are asked to bring students as close to the beginning of the school day as possible to reduce the number of people waiting for the school doors to open. 

- Parents will not be permitted to walk students inside the school building.

- Hand sanitizer stations will be placed at entrances and exits of buildings. Students will be encouraged to sanitizer their hands upon entering the building.

- When possible, separate entrances will be utilized for car riders, bus riders, walkers and daycares, etc. Students will proceed directly to their designated areas set by each campus. 

DISMISSAL

- Students will be encouraged to sanitize hands before exiting the building.

- The campus will designate staggered dismissal groups when possible.

- Separate exits will be utilized for car riders, bus riders, walkers, and daycares, to the greatest extent possible.

- Parents picking up students during the day will be encouraged to call ahead so that students can be sent or accompanied to parent vehicles upon arrival. Office staff will sign the student out, documenting both the time the student left the building, as well as the time the parent requested for early dismissal, to the greatest extent possible.

- Outdoor eating will be prioritized as a first option for eating space whenever possible. 

- Elementary students will be seated according to a seating plan consistent with social distancing guidelines to the greatest extent possible.

- Students will maintain social distancing guidelines when coming through the cafeteria line.

- All students are expected to wash hands or use hand sanitizer prior to entering the cafeteria.

- At schools with open lunch for seniors in HS, students are required to wash hands or use hand sanitizer upon their return to school.

- Breakfast and lunch will be served in the cafeteria, except at schools that were a Breakfast in the Classroom campus pre-pandemic. There will be assigned seating for elementary, and students will follow social distancing as space permits.

- Lunch times will be staggered as much as possible to allow for social distancing.

- Desks or tables will be socially distanced at three feet or more when feasible, per CDC guidelines.

- Multiple locations of hand sanitizer will be available throughout classrooms and common areas to minimize student and staff movement.

- High-touch surfaces (i.e. tabletops, chairs, door handles) will be disinfected daily.

- Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle for use throughout the day and expected to take water bottles home to be cleaned on a daily basis.

- Students will be permitted to bring backpacks to class.

- Federal, state, and local officials recommend a COVID-19 vaccine helps to lower your chances of getting COVID-19 and spreading it to others. The District is partnering with local organizations to provide COVID-19 vaccine opportunities to students, staff, families, and the community. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is not required, but strongly encouraged. Local vaccine clinic opportunities are available online.

- The District follows the CDC guidance for cleaning. DPS utilizes disinfectants that meet the EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

- Practices and games/competitions will follow protocols established by NCHSAA Guidelines. In-season and off-season activities will follow the most current guidelines available.

- Coaches/directors will provide an orientation of protocols and expectations for students at the beginning of their respective season(s).

- Parents and students will be expected to provide timely notification of any health concerns to their coach, athletic trainer, or director.

- Sharing of water or sports drinks will not be allowed at any time.

- Booster club meetings should be held virtually or after school hours to minimize outside exposure to campuses.

- Performances/exhibits/games may be adjusted based on prevailing health and safety guidelines from UIL, the Texas Education Agency or local health authorities. Adjustments could impact transportation procedures and the number of attendees.

- All students, teachers, staff members and adult visitors, including Trustees, must wear masks on buses and while inside school buildings during the regular day when six feet of distance cannot be maintained. Students and staff may remove their masks for eating, but with 6ft social distancing to every extent possible. Masks may be removed for activities during athletics, fine arts, and physical education classes if deemed appropriate by the coach, director or instructor.

- Individuals with health or developmental circumstances may opt-out by submitting documentation. For exemptions, parents, guardians and staff must complete their respective forms. Once completed, parents and guardians will submit a PDF copy of their documentation or provide appropriate documentation through the Mask Exemption Document Form. Staff will turn in their completed form and/or appropriate documentation into their immediate supervisor.

- DPS will communicate with families via email regarding any positive case or probable case on the campus. Close contacts to a positive or probable case will be communicated with directly.

- The CDC defines close contact to include anyone who came within six feet of an infected individual for at least 15 minutes starting from 48 hours before illness/symptom onset until the time the patient is isolated.

- Exception to quaratine (per the CDC): In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within three to six feet of an infected student (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) where: both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks; and other K-12 school prevention strategies (such as universal and correct mask use, physical distancing, increased ventilation, etc.) were in place in the K-12 school setting. This exception does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting.

- The District will maintain a COVID-19 Dashboard on the District’s website, updating weekly with student and staff cases. The frequency of updates may change based on prevailing conditions.

- The District will maintain a COVID-19 Dashboard on the District’s website, updating weekly with student and staff cases. The frequency of updates may change based on prevailing conditions.

- At the bus stop, students should practice social distancing, whenever possible.

- Members of the same household are encouraged to sit together.

- Students should not share food, drinks, or personal devices.

- Buses will be disinfected at the end of the day.

- A/C air filters are cleaned and changed regularly.

- Durham Public Schools has modified operating parameters of the HVAC equipment in order to introduce more outside air into the buildings during occupied times. Between occupancy, outside air is being used to “flush” building spaces. Exhaust fans are being used, where possible, to assist with the exchange rate.

- HVAC systems are equipped with improved filtration to reduce the spread of airborne illnesses. Constantly commission the HVAC systems to ensure the systems are operating according to design.

The North Carolina General Assembly, through the passage of Senate Bill 654, removed the authority of a local Board to return to virtual instruction as a primary mode of education for our students, and also significantly limited the manner in which virtual instruction may be offered by school systems in North Carolina. Outside of the listed circumstances below, remote instruction is not permitted.

• Local boards of education may use up to five (5) remote instructional days (or 30 instructional hours) when schools are unable to open due to severe weather conditions, power failures, or other emergency situations.  In addition, a local board may apply for a good-cause waiver to allow for up to 15 days of remote instruction for this same reason.
• Local boards of education retain the authority to make day-to-day decisions regarding the possibility of providing instruction remotely for a particular single classroom or a particular, single school building, if the reason for closure is based on specific lack of personnel and/or required student quarantines.  Any shift to virtual instruction for this reason must be reported to DPI within 72 hours and must return to in-person instruction as soon as personnel are available or the required quarantines are complete.  Any decision by DPS to move a classroom or a school to remote instruction under this provision will be based on specific documentation regarding the numbers of staff/students required to quarantine and a timeline for returning based on the anticipated length of quarantine/staff unavailability.
• Any local district pursuing virtual academies that would allow for voluntary remote instruction (i.e. with parental consent) were required to submit a virtual instruction plan to DPI no later than October 1, 2021.  It does not provide for the creation of virtual academies beyond October 1, 2021, except that they can be offered beginning with the 2022-2023 school year only if they have a separate school number.

- To help ensure the physical safety of students and staff, DPS will limit visitor access during school hours to those deemed essential. Essential visitors include: Guest Educators, Student Teachers/Nurses/Interns/Observers, Tutors and Mentors, Contractors, Emergency Personnel, SROs, Food Service, Mail Delivery (Front Office Only), and others as determined by Campus Administration.

- Campuses will utilize virtual meeting options to limit campus visitors when possible. All visitors who enter the building are encouraged to wear a face-covering.

- Before or after school hours, non-essential visitors may participate in campus activities.

Beginning November 1st, the following COVID protocols are required in order to become a DPS volunteer. 

• All volunteers must be FULLY vaccinated for COVID-19.
• All volunteers must be screened upon entering the building. 
• All volunteers must wear their mask appropriately and consistently at all times.
• All volunteers must depart immediately at the end of their shift. 

- Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle for use throughout the day and expected to take water bottles home to be cleaned on a daily basis.

- Students will not drink directly from water fountains.

Beginning November 1st, the following COVID Protocols will be in effect for all arts and extracurricular activities. 

Participants

• While outdoors, teachers and performers are required to wear face coverings while not engaged in active performing.
• Weekly testing is required for all unvaccinated students to participate in activities.

Spectators

• All audience members (indoors) are required to wear masks.  Community members without masks will not be allowed into any venue.  Face masks will be provided for community members attending performances
• Audience members are expected to remain seated at all times.
• Congregating in open areas is strictly prohibited.  

Beginning November 1st, the following COVID Protocols will be in effect for all winter athletics: 

Athletes

• Athletes are required to wear a face covering except when engaged in physical activity.
• Weekly testing is required for all unvaccinated athletes to play.

Spectators

• Indoor venues will be limited to 50% of capacity with the home team getting 80% and the visiting team 20%.
• All spectators are required to wear masks and any spectators without a mask will not be allowed into any venue.
• All concessions will be pre-packaged food and drinks, with a limited number of individuals working to allow for adequate spacing.  
• Lobby areas for concessions will be clearly marked for adequate seating and spacing.  
• Bags are not allowed in any DPS athletic event. 
• Spectators may not reenter any athletic contest after leaving.