On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plans (ARP) Act was signed into law. In it, the U.S. Department of  Education is providing an additional $121.9 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER III Fund). This legislation will award grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) for providing local educational agencies (LEAs) with emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on elementary and secondary schools across the nation. 

Wisconsin will receive $1,540,784,854 in ESSER III funds from the Act, with 90 percent being awarded to school districts with amounts determined in proportion to the amount of Title I, Part A funds they received in summer 2020 from funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The remaining funds will be used for state-level activities to address issues caused by COVID-19. 

This plan describes how the LEA or district will provide a safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services for all schools, including those that have already returned to in-person instruction.

Overview  

A district’s plan must include how it will maintain the health and safety of students, educators,  and other school and LEA staff, and the extent to which it has adopted policies or practices and a description of any such policies or practices on each of the CDC's safety recommendations including the universal and correct wearing of masks; modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing (e.g., use of cohorts/podding); hand washing and respiratory etiquette; cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation; contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the state, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments; diagnostic and screening testing; efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff, and students, if eligible; appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies or practices; and coordination with state and local health officials. 

 

Description on maintaining the safety of staff and students 

Franklin Public Schools will begin the 2021-22 school year with a five-day per week, face-to-face instructional model and adhere to the following health protocols. Accordingly, the District will:  

• maintain daily and weekly protocols for cleaning and disinfecting,
• continue increased air exchanges and filtering to reduce airborne particles,
• utilize spaces to maintain distancing and allow for assigned seating,
• maintain emphasis on handwashing, use of hand sanitizer, and covering coughs,
• require staff members and students to stay home or go home if they are showing COVID-19 symptoms or if they have tested positive for COVID-19, 
• Notify students and families of school exclusion to prevent the spread of communicable illness under the direction of the Franklin Health Department,
• provide sanitizing stations throughout the building.

 

Description to continue to provide services regardless of the mode of instruction

Franklin Public Schools will offer in-person learning five days a week according to the 2021-22 academic year calendar. The school district has also provided families the option to enroll their students in virtual learning provided by a third party. In the event of school closure due to the pandemic, the district has provided Chromebooks for students to continue virtual learning.

Regardless of the mode of instruction, the Franklin Public Schools will continue to provide meals or offer an alternate site under the community provision as long as USDA continues the allowance.

The Franklin Public Schools employs two full-time school nurses who will continue to offer health services in-person or virtually. The school district also partners with Clinical Psychology Associates to provide mental health support for families.

Universal and correct wearing of masks

• The School Board adopted a masking metric plan to determine when students will be required to wear masks and when mask-wearing will be optional.  These thresholds are based on the grade level, COVID activity in individual schools, and the community burden rate. Details about these thresholds can be found on the district website. 

Modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing

• Mitigation measures such as proper signage, water bottle filling stations, and the promotion of social distancing have been implemented at each facility.  Extended and/or staggered meal service will be implemented to support social distancing while ensuring adequate time for students to consume their meals. Individual schools, in collaboration with the Food Service Manager, will determine the cafeteria service that best suits the needs of their students. Cafeterias and/or classrooms and hallways may be used as settings for student meals.  
• All students riding buses will be required to wear masks in compliance with federal regulations during the 2021-22 school year. 

Handwashing and respiratory etiquette 

• Handwashing and respiratory etiquette are taught to students with high emphasis in the primary grade levels. Signage is posted in buildings as reminders of handwashing and respiratory etiquette. 
• In addition, hand sanitization stations/liquids are available in all classrooms.

Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation

• Enhanced sanitation procedures have been implemented and continue at all schools focusing on high-touch surfaces. The District uses cleaning solutions that are rated to kill the SARS virus. In addition to daily cleaning, classrooms are treated with spray disinfectant. The District has increased air exchanges and is using a higher level of filtration. 

Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments

• The Franklin Public Schools will continue contact tracing and transparent reporting to the public of weekly COVID-19 case levels within the District. To provide transparent reporting for our stakeholders, the District maintained a COVID-19 dashboard throughout the 2020-21 school year and will continue to do so for the 2021-22 school year. 
• The Franklin Public Schools will guide parents/students, employees, and contractors on screening protocols for the daily pre-screening process, which all parties should complete before entering the campus/building. The District will continue to provide current health information to staff, students, and families about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, when they should stay home, and when they can return to school. Procedures for contact tracing can be found on the district website.

Diagnostic and screening testing 

• The Franklin Public Schools recommends students and staff get tested for COVID by their medical provider or a local pharmacy as needed.  The District will also implement a Test to Stay program.

Efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff, and students, if eligible

• All eligible staff employed in 2020-21 were provided the opportunity to be vaccinated. Students ages 5 and older were provided access to on-site vaccination clinics in the fall of 2021.  New staff will obtain vaccinations by working with local healthcare clinics or pharmacies. 

Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies and practices  

• When circumstances require specific policies or procedures designed to protect the health and safety of students, 504 and IEP teams will determine and then provide modifications and/or reasonable accommodations that are needed for individual students with disability-related issues.

Coordination with state and local health officials

• The CDC recommends that all decisions about implementing school-based strategies should be made locally, collaborating with local health officials who can help determine the level of transmission in the community. The Franklin Public Schools continues to work with the Franklin Health Department and our medical advisory team to implement mitigating strategies for the safety of students and staff.

Overview  

Districts must describe how the LEA will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address students' academic needs and students' and staff social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services.  

District response on continuity of services

The District will provide for continuity of services as follows: 

Student Academic Needs 

• The Franklin Public Schools has a summer school program to assist all K-12 students with academic recovery.  The District plans to continue full-time, in-person instruction beginning the fall of 2021, with limited exception. 

Student Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs 

• The District is providing a continuum of support through services provided by school psychologists, counselors, and social workers.  Teachers are creating the conditions that promote authentic relationships, and safe and supportive classrooms through consistent SEL practices.  Staff are also providing a safe and supportive school environment by working with a trauma sensitive lens.  An onsite counseling clinic is provided for family access to more intensive support.

Other Student Needs (which may include student health and food services) 

• Food services will continue to provide meals under the community provision as long as USDA continues the allowance.

Staff Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs 

• The staff’s social, emotional, and mental health needs may be addressed through the Employee Assistance Program provided through the District insurance program as well as onsite counseling clinics. 

Other Staff Needs 

• The District will follow national, state, and local governing agencies’ laws and directives concerning staff employment and benefits.

Overview  

Districts are required to review and, as appropriate, revise their Safe Return to In-Person  Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan at least every six months through September 30, 2023, including seeking public input and taking such input into account in determining whether to revise the plan and, if revisions are determined necessary, on the revisions it makes to its plan.

District response on ensuring periodic updates to its plan

The Franklin Public Schools will periodically review and, as needed, revise the plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services. The plan will be reviewed at least every six months, and the school system will seek and take into account public input during the review process. Plan revisions will address updated CDC and Franklin Health Department guidance on safely reopening schools if any are issued.

Overview  

The ARP Act requires that school districts make their Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and  Continuity of Services Plan available to the public online and that the plans be in an understandable and uniform format; to the extent practicable, are written in a language that parents can understand or, if not practicable, orally translated; and upon request by a parent who is an individual with a disability, provided in an alternative format accessible to that parent.  Before making its plan publicly available, school districts must seek public comment on the plan and develop the plan after taking into account public comment.  

District response on public input in the development of its plan 

The Franklin Public Schools have taken the following steps to make its plan available to the public: 

• The plan is posted at http://www.franklin.k12.wi.us
• The plan is available in multiple languages through the use of Google Translate. 
• The plan for a safe return to school was shared at the Franklin Public Schools Board of Education meeting on August 25, 2021. An opportunity for public comment was available at that Board meeting. 
• Upon request, a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the ADA may be provided with the plan in an alternative format accessible by contacting our district office.