Niles Community Schools Reopen Safely Plan
Phase I
5/29/2020
These plans are based on the best current understanding of COVID-19 and what is required for continued containment and mitigation. At the same time, this dynamic public health situation requires adaptive planning and the acknowledgement that the plan will evolve as the situation evolves. This plan will require modifications based on future guidance from national, state, and local health officials. A vaccine might not be readily available for 18 months or more, meaning that plans should take into account both the 2020-2021and 2021-2022 school years. Therefore, these plans will be in place for the foreseeable future.
Plan Goal: To transition employees back to onsite work safely.
- Employees who have a year-round work calendar report to their worksite.
- Schedule to be determined by the supervisor to limit open group office areas to less than 10 employees while using social distancing (6geet) protocol. Individual offices do not count toward the 10 employees per group open office area total.
- When not working onsite, all other work is done remotely.
Implementation Schedule:
Starting the week of June 1st, all employees who work year-round should be prepared to report to their worksite.
Plan Elements:
- Admin. Office, High School Office and Cedar Lane Office hours will be 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (summer hours)
- Any employee who requests a change in work hours must have prior supervisor approval.
- Offices remain closed to the public. Once the building is open to the public, meetings will be scheduled by appointment and limited to certain areas.
- 30 minute lunch period and appropriate breaks. Employees are responsible for cleaning their lunch and break areas if they are outside of their work area.
- Employees enter their building via main entrances only.
- The employees must go through the self check in before swipe carding into their respective buildings.
- Sick employees must stay home and report their absence.
- Hand sanitizer will be made available.
- Restrooms open for handwashing.
- Sanitizing protocols remain in place.
Mask Protocol:
Masks are available and employees are encouraged to bring their own masks. Due to limited availability, employer-provided masks should be reused as long as possible.
- If you are in your own office, you do not have to wear a mask. When you leave your office and are in the hallway, restroom, common area, classroom or conference room, you must wear a mask. Staff and the public will be required to wear a face mask covering nose and mouth when entering any building. Masks must be worn in all common areas, lobbies, hallways and where physical distancing of at least 6 feet is not guaranteed.
- If you are outdoors you do not have to wear a mask but physical distancing still applies.
- If you are at an outdoor event with multiple participants, masks are required.
Any employee who cannot report to work should contact Tracy Hertsel, Director of Student Support Services, 269 683-6662 x10005, tracy.hertsel@nilesschools.org
Responsibility of Employee:
Employees must review the Niles Community Schools Pandemic Preparedness Plan prior to reporting to their worksite.
Pandemic Preparedness Plan: Please click this link to view NCS plan.