Statewide Coronavirus 24 Hour Hotline: 877-435-8411

2023-2024 School Year

As the Union R-XI School District prepares to enter into the 2023-2024 school year post-pandemic, the District will return to our pre-pandemic policies, procedures, and protocols, especially in regard to our health room.   

Safe Return to School Plan Communication

The following plan elements are necessary to include per the requirements for ESSERIII funding (2022-2025). If a spike in COVID-19 occurs in our community and/or our District, we may revert to previously approved Safe Return to School Plans from the 2021-2022 school year.  Any changes will be communicated to our parents and community. 

  • Universal and correct wearing of masks

    • Masks are not required in the District; however, they can be worn if desired by an individual.

  • Physical distancing (e.g., including use of cohorts/podding) 

    • There is no cohorting or podding at this time beyond normal grade level and/or class groupings.

  • Handwashing and respiratory etiquette

    • We continue to focus on proper health etiquette as we typically do via policies and procedures.

  •  Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities 

    • We continue to focus on proper cleaning as we typically do via policies and procedures.

  • Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, and local health department

    • We are not continuing COVID-19 contract tracing for isolation and/or quarantine.

  • Diagnostic and screening testing

    • At this time, testing for COVID-19 is not available in the District.  We ask that staff and families continue to self-screen and monitor for illnesses per our policies and procedures. If you are exhibiting symptoms and would like to test for COVID-19 our district health rooms have free home tests for students and staff. 

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

    • The District is not providing COVID-19 vaccinations at this time.

  • Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to the health and safety policies. 

    • We continue to focus on appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities through current District policies and procedures.

Continued Health Protocols

It is our desire to promote the safety, health, and well-being of our students and staff and thus act quickly and efficiently to ensure the health and well-being of our students and staff. Please note: 

 Continued Safety Activities:

  • All employees and students will be directed to stay home if ill.

  • Practicing universal precautions of good handwashing and covering coughs & sneezes

  • Extended cleaning & disinfecting when increased illness occurs in a classroom or building.

  • Reminders will be sent to parents reminding them to keep their student(s) home if they exhibit symptoms.

Student and/or Staff Illness:

A student with fever/symptoms that reports to the nurse’s office once at school will be assessed in the following manner:

  • Assessment by the nurse will result in the following checks:

o   temperature

o   lung sounds

o   pulse oximetry

  • If a student has two or more of the following, a parent will be contacted.  The student will be sent home and will need to be evaluated by a health care provider to ensure their symptoms are not from a contagious illness or they can return to school at a minimum of 24 hours after symptom resolution without medication.

    • temperature >100.4

    • pulse oximetry <90%

    • audible adventitious lung sounds

    • Cough

    • SOTB (shortness of breath)

    • Headache

    • Chills

    • muscle pain

    • new loss of taste or smell

    • eye drainage

    • rash with itching or drainage

  • Students with temperatures of >100.0 are to be sent home with a parent/guardian.

School Nurse

Nurse Algorithm