The health and safety of our KIPP Texas family remains our top priority. We believe that staying vigilant and following local, state, national, and CDC health guidelines is the best way to ensure the safety of our Team & Family, especially in light of the recent rise in COVID cases and the Delta variant.
Please see below for our 2021-22 Health & Safety Guidelines, and please review these safety guidelines with your children:
Face Masks: KIPP Texas believes face masks are one of the best ways we can protect ourselves and those around us from COVID-19 and the Delta variant. KIPP Texas highly recommends all individuals wear a face covering (mask or cloth covering) when inside our buildings and on our campuses when around other KIPPsters. Please join the thousands of other KIPPsters who have committed to wearing a mask and submit a Mask Opt-In form at https://rb.gy/1oh11w .
Social Distancing: We will socially distance to the extent possible in our classrooms, buildings, and offices.
Arrivals: For the 2021-22 school year, wellness surveys and temperature checks are not required for staff or students upon entry onto KIPP Texas campuses or buildings, but we will conduct temperature checks for individuals experiencing symptoms.
Hand Hygiene: KIPP Texas believes that frequent hand washing and sanitizing are among the best safeguards against COVID-19. We will continue offering hand sanitizing stations across KIPP Texas campuses and buildings and strongly encourage frequent handwashing.
COVID Vaccine: KIPP Texas believes the best way of protecting yourself from COVID-19 is by getting the vaccine. Although it is not required, we strongly recommend the vaccination for anyone who is eligible (those 12 years and older).
COVID-Positive Individuals: If a staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, they will be required to quarantine for a period of 10 days per guidance from the CDC. They can return to school or work with a negative test result after 10 days. Little KIPPsters who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for 10 days and can return to school when they are fever-free and have improved symptoms.
Close Contact Quarantine: Students who are identified as close contacts of a positive-individual will be highly encouraged to quarantine for seven to 10 days and take a COVID test (seven days with a negative test result, 10 days without a test). Staff will also be required to quarantine for seven days if they are a close contact. The definition of close contact is any individual who was within six feet of a COVID-positive individual for 15 minutes or more during their infectious period (starting two days prior to symptoms beginning or two days prior to their positive test). This quarantine policy does not include any individual who has tested positive for COVID within the last three months or is fully vaccinated.
Cleaning and Disinfecting: All spaces will continue to be cleaned daily. High-touch and high-traffic areas will be disinfected with greater frequency. Where positive COVID-19 cases are reported, special deep cleaning protocols will be implemented.
We have put together this Health & Safety Protocols document for a summary of these protocols and created a “Health and Safety Guidelines” webpage with this same information for easy access. Additionally, because we know that these high-level protocols do not answer every single scenario and question you might have, we are also sharing this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document with even more information.
We can’t wait to welcome our KIPPsters back for a wonderful 2020-2021 school year.