ASBO roundtable on reopening schools

ASBO (that's the national version of MASBO, thus the international organization for school business officials) roundtable on reopening schools with Mary Filardo of 21st Century Schools as staff to the National Council on School Facilities, and David Sturtz, Executive Director-Assessment Services, Cooperative Strategies

I'm just making notes on the presentation itself

Filardo: reopening plans that are safe, operational, equitable, and affordable
uniform and precise guidance for planning, operation, and maintenance for building, transportation, and school assignments

Complexity 

changing nature of planning

cost as compared to benefit

"the social distancing pieces are really complicated"

Some pieces require long planning period: need for engagement with the community, and procurement may take time

Sturtz: Schools are "intense social environments"

• main tools of social distancing are space and time
• improve building hygiene: air quality, cleaning & disinfecting, bathroom improvements
• personal hygiene

planning staff, community "have to be engaged" in how these issues will play out

community trust and community confidence is "absolutely critical" to how this will play out in the 2020-21 year

capacity for buildings "in an abnormal circumstance" right now; that needs to be determined "quite quickly" to then be able to plan from there; "what would be a reasonable capacity in the room"

ten or less, for example, creates a significant reduction in capacity for face time

Feasibility of staffing at that ratio: what then are the budgetary impacts of that?

Community worries, interests, needs: "making it a dialogue" with the community, further building trust

Capital planning to meet capacity needs

Scheduling for that capacity

Redistricting of students "save that for last"

All of this assumes significant learning loss due to remote learning

the most thoughtful capacity to support safety to allow for face time

"most of them take your capacity and whack by about 60%"

need actual space (not what's on the drawings)

what's the personal space allowance? What are your fixtures? 

how much space does each student need in square footage? (44 to 100 square feet)

what if we spread out further (gyms, cafeterias, libraries) if bumping staff

What about time from 100% online to full in school? 

what are the implications of each? fewer days but longer days?

segmenting groups from groups; mitigating risk between groups fewest number of kids have to quarantine if  exposed

Bein: Facilities driven decisions alongside and interacting with community dialogue

Filardo: 

economic impact of the pandemic; states on average 45% of school funding

capital costs for reopening: HVAC systems, window repairs, portable classrooms, sensors in bathrooms, add humidity to air

When buildings reopen, let everything run (water sitting makes people ill, too!)

signage "is actually a really big deal"

outdoor environments are safer

deep clean when there are times of illness

communication is "essential"

nurse for every school on site

before and after care? and cleaning in between and added social distancing

mental health services and counseling to students

added custodial staffing and scheduling across district to allow for coverage

continued support to community feeding programs

Sturtz: important to advocate on the Hill: reopening schools "is not free"

Note: the National Council on School Facilities has been having weekly roundtables to discuss school reopening; you can find them online here.