9
Adapt, Advance, Achieve: Connecticut’s Plan to Learn and Grow Together
Guidance
• Review floor plans, consider space, and perform any facility maintenance required.
• Ensure that every school building has a health room with running water.
• Ensure that an isolation room has been identified in every school building.
• Ensure that all water and ventilation systems are safe to use after a prolonged facility
shutdown.
• Perform any necessary deep cleaning that may help prepare the building for students
to return in-person.
• Consider allowing small cohorts to enter school prior to reopening to give them time
to understand the new policies and protocols, and practice the changed routines and
rules.
Signs and Messages
Requirements
• Ensure all signs and messages related to stopping the spread are accessible for
students with disabilities and in languages appropriate for the school population.
Guidance
Ventilation
• Focus on distribution of information and regular communication about the actions
school communities can take to stop the spread. This includes posting signs in highly
visible locations (e.g., school entrances, staff areas, and restrooms) that promote
everyday protective measures, and providing instruction related to properly washing
hands and properly wearing a cloth face coverings. Educate students about how
coronavirus is spread, and how preventative actions help avoid the spread (for
example, that masks keep droplets out of the air and hand hygiene keep the virus out
of one’s mouth/nose/eyes).
• Broadcast regular announcements related to stopping the spread on school
intercoms, and ensure related resources (e.g., messages and videos) are distributed
when communicating with staff, students, and families (such as on school websites, in
emails, and on school social media accounts).
• Place signs near sinks reminding students and staff to wash hands before and after
using the restroom.
• Find free CDC print and digital resources in several languages on CDC’s
communications resources main page.
Requirements
• Comply with DPH Guidance for School Systems for the Operation of Central and non-
Central Ventilation Systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guidance
• Plan to inspect building systems regularly to ensure they are operating properly.
This includes but is not limited to developing a schedule to perform preventive
maintenance, remediation (including necessary filter replacements), and repairs
before opening and promptly when needed.
• Refresh stale indoor air by opening windows. Consider, however, how to avoid
circumstances where opening a window may pose a health threat, such as
exacerbating asthma or allergy symptoms or creating fall risks for young students
where the open window is accessible.