Jenkins Independent School District (JISD) Community:
We are pleased to announce the first day of school for Jenkins Independent will be August 2nd for staff, with students beginning on August 4th, 2021.
JISD plans to have full-time, in-person instruction five days a week. Please keep in mind that our plans could change quickly depending on local, state, or federal guidance or mandates and the incident rate of COVID-19.
The health and safety of our students and staff is our priority, and we will follow the guidelines set forth by the Kentucky Department of Education, the Department of Public Health, the Governor’s Office, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). JISD is constantly monitoring local COVID-19 data and is in regular contact with Kentucky River District Health Department. Should community conditions and expert recommendations warrant reconsideration of these guidelines, JISD will make every effort to notify our school community in a timely manner.
The CDC recommends that all eligible individuals get vaccinated and asserts that vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. JISD encourages those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated. However, vaccination is not required to attend or work in our school district.
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At this time masks are required for all individuals, per Jenkins Board of Education approval, while indoors. This includes all students, staff, and visitors.
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Based on the CDC and Kentucky Department of Public Health’s mandates, masks are required to be worn on all buses, regardless of vaccination status. This includes to and from school, field trips, athletic events, etc.
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As soon as the bus is boarded, we ask that the provided hand sanitizer be used. Detailed seating charts will be maintained for the purpose of contact tracing. All buses will be cleaned and sanitized after each run.
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The following are exempt from wearing a mask while on a school bus: an individual who cannot wear a mask or safely wear a mask as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act or an individual for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety or job duty as
determined by the relevant workplace safety guidelines or federal regulations. If a student or staff member falls in one of these exemption categories, they must have a doctor’s statement qualifying them for the exemption.
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Proper hand hygiene will be encouraged, and hand sanitizer will be readily available throughout each classroom and building.
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Detailed records/seating charts will be maintained for the purpose of contact tracing.
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Physical distancing will occur to the greatest extent the area will allow.
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All facilities will be cleaned and disinfected multiple times throughout the
day. Desks in classrooms will be sanitized between each class.
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Respiratory etiquette, covering coughs and sneezes, will be encouraged.
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Students will be allowed to have meals in the cafeteria. The cafeteria will be cleaned between groups.
Each school will have a designated area for isolation of sick students supervised by adults until a parent/guardian can pick the student up. Each school will be served by our MCHC School Based Clinics and a school nurse. We ask that if a child is sick or exhibiting symptoms, please do not send them to school.
Due to contact tracing requirements, JIS will limit guests in our schools. We will continue to monitor local conditions and make adjustments to this policy accordingly. We strongly recommend that anyone visiting our school wear a mask and will provide one if needed.
Cleaning protocols will be comprehensive and focused with continued use of a hospital grade, one-step cleaner, bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal disinfectant proven effective against norovirus and blood borne pathogens. JISD also uses electrostatic sprayers to help deliver the disinfectant to areas that could be missed by regular cleaning.
Parents/guardians are asked to not send their student to school if they are experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms:
- Fever of 100.4 or higher or feeling feverish (e.g., chills or sweating)
- New cough - Difficulty breathing - Sore Throat - Muscle or body aches - Vomiting or diarrhea - New loss of taste or smell
Should a student begin experiencing a COVID-19 symptom while at school, they will be isolated in the designated isolation area until picked up by a parent or guardian.
Should a student be tested for COVID-19 due to experiencing symptoms, they will need to remain isolated at home until the test results are obtained. They may return to school once cleared by a health care provider or they are symptom free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
Should a student experience a COVID-19 symptom and are not tested, they should remain home until they are symptom free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
Fully vaccinated individuals will not have to quarantine should they have close contact to a COVID-19 positive person unless they develop symptoms. To be considered fully vaccinated, one must be at least two weeks after their final vaccine dose.