Initial Effective Date: 7/1/20

Date of Last Review: 6/28/21

Date of Last Revision: 6/28/21

1.    How will the LEA, to the greatest extent practicable, support prevention and mitigation policies in line with the most up-to-date guidance from the CDC for the reopening and operation of school facilities in order to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning?

The Midd-West School District Administration will follow all orders and recommendations from the PA Department of Health as far as implementing safe and effective in-person instruction.  Also, the administration will regularly check for updates from PDE and the CDC as to emerging information on mitigating risks associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic.  When appropriate and consistent with the information received from the PA Department of Health, this information will be incorporated into the strategies in place within the school district.

2.    How will the LEA ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address the students’ academic needs, and students’ and staff members’ social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services?

The Midd-West School District will continue to provide services for all students and staff members related to emotional health, mental health, food services, and academic needs.  The most desired way of providing these services would be through in-person model.  However, if in-person instruction turns out to be unsafe for reasons of the pandemic, the Midd-West School District is prepared to provide all services remotely including instruction on-line through our one to one school computer program, online meeting class meeting through TEAMS, and by student’s accessing our Sapphire Learning Management System.  Where needed, students will receive WiFi boxes to allow them to access the online content and services.  For food services, schools will offer open pick up times where families have the ability to access school meals.

 3.    Use the table below to explain how the LEA will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policy on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC.

ARP ESSER Requirement

Strategies, Policies, and Procedures

a.    Universal and correct wearing of masks;

The Midd-West School District will follow the laws of the Commonwealth on mask wearing to include wearing them indoors when social distancing can’t be maintained and during times where elevated transmission risk can be associated from not wearing them.

b.    Modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing (e.g., use of cohorts/podding);

The Midd-West School District will follow all Department of Health and PDE recommendations for social distancing for students in their classrooms, and will assign seats in large group areas such as the cafeteria and on busses so that contact tracing may be done more efficiently.

c.    Handwashing and respiratory etiquette;

The Midd-West School District will continue to educate our younger learners on hand washing and good respiratory etiquette while providing time for our older students to practice this good etiquette such as handwashing and cleaning shared materials.

d.    Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation;

The Midd-West School District is blessed to have new and state of the art facilities that have new HVAC systems that coordinate infusing of outside air into our buildings.  We have increased the rate at which we changed these filters and have explored adding filtration systems, but they were not recommended based of the quality of what we currently use.  Additionally, the district has emphasized the cleaning of touch services on a regular basis through the use of foggers and classroom routines so that there is less chance of transmission through contact.

e.    Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State and local health departments;

The Midd-West School District notifies its contacts with the PA DOH and in turn identifies the students that would be identified as a close contact to a positive case in our building.  Those names are also shared with the DOH and quarantining guidelines are followed based on all the circumstances surrounding that specific situation.

f.      Diagnostic and screening testing;

The Midd-West School District does not implement a diagnostic or screening test for COVID-19.  However, we provide parents with the name of agencies and phone numbers of agencies the perform such screenings should parents have interest in obtaining such results.

g.    Efforts to provide vaccinations to school communities;

All Midd-West School District staff members have had the opportunity to receive vaccinations.  MWSD will serve as a vaccination site for member of the public choosing to vaccinate if provided the opportunity.

h.    Appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies; and

IEP Teams, 504 Teams, and School Health Plans will be written with great care and include the input of the staff, student, parents, and outside contributors to ensure that each child’s unique health needs are being met.

i.      Coordination with state and local health officials.

The Midd-West School District nurses rely on their contacts with the PA DOH.  They communicate regularly with them on positive cases, student quarantines, and the overall experience we are having in the school district.

Health and Safety Plan Governing Body Affirmation Statement

The Board of Directors/Trustees for Midd-West School District reviewed and approved the Health and Safety Plan on June 28, 2021.

Mr. Victor Abate

(MWSD Board President)