Letter from the Superintendent Regarding District Cleaning Procedures
March 10, 2020
Dear Hazelwood Parents and Guardians,
I want to provide you with information about our ongoing standard cleaning procedures and additions we have made to these procedures. As a reminder, the two staff members discussed in my March 9 letter chose to quarantine themselves as a precaution, not because of direct exposure or symptoms of Coronavirus. We continue to work with the CDC and St. Louis County Department of Health which maintain that there is low to no Coronavirus risk to our students and staff at this time.
ADDITIONS TO OUR STANDARD CLEANING PROCEDURE
- As a precaution, we have directed additional custodial help to both Russell and Walker Elementary to assist with deep cleaning and disinfecting after hours beginning March 9.
- We are requiring elementary students to wash their hands before meals, after restroom visits, and after recess. We continue to encourage frequent handwashing throughout the day at all of our schools.
- All buses are being disinfected both before and after morning and afternoon routes.
ONGOING STANDARD CLEANING PROCEDURE
- The district uses Virex II as its primary cleaning product to disinfect surfaces both during and after school hours. Virex II is proven to kill many common bacterial and viral strains including Coronavirus.
- Hard surfaces at all schools including handrails, door frames, water fountains, pencil sharpeners, light switches, cafeteria tables, desks, chairs, toilets, sinks, stalls, door handles, and other frequently-touched surfaces are being cleaned daily, as is standard with flu season cleaning procedures we follow each year.
- Hand sanitizing stations can be found throughout each of our school buildings.
- Since January, the district has proactively used an after-hours, rotating deep-cleaning procedure throughout the district.
- Our cafeterias continue to follow standard procedures that meet all food safety standards, including personal hygiene, handwashing, and the use of gloves during meal preparation and service. We also use high-temperature dishwashers in conjunction with food-safe chemicals to clean and disinfect trays and all food preparation equipment.
- Although staff members are not allowed to bring disinfectant wipes to school, the district allows schools to use district funds to buy Clorox and Lysol wipes and provides Virex II disinfectant to all classrooms. By providing the supplies to our schools, the district can monitor the cleaning products used in schools and ensure unwarranted, and potentially unsafe, products are not used, in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.
The health and safety of our students and staff will always be a priority in the Hazelwood School District. Thank you for your continued support of our schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart
Superintendent
