Updated February 8, 2021
The commitment form survey is non-binding, so staff members who are not approved for an ADA accommodation will be notified either by email or phone by the ADA coordinator, and will have the option to select another preference from the return to workplace commitment form.
HCPSS is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines which identifies certain underlying medical conditions that are at an increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. View the list of medical conditions on the CDC web site.
Please note: the medical conditions that might be at an increased risk are not in HCPSS’s list of automatically qualifying conditions.
No. Staff are not required to receive testing prior to returning to school and office buildings. However, all staff are expected to perform a health check each morning and stay home if they are experiencing any of the symptoms detailed here.
Updated February 3, 2021
The correct supply of PPE has been provided to all schools based on the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The supply of PPE should not impact any rotation issues as long as staff follow the manufacturer’s care and use guidelines of the PPE. Staff will receive two reusable masks and additional supplies have been ordered to be able to provide masks to staff every eight weeks based on manufacturer’s guidelines.
The following will be provided to schools and offices:
Upon entering phase 1B for the COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) staff became eligible to receive the vaccine. Demand for the vaccine currently exceeds supply and we do not know how quickly vaccines will become available as phase 1B consists of many people. In collaboration with the Howard County Health Department (HCHD), HCPSS will notify staff when they become eligible to register to receive their first dose of the vaccine. This will be done in four tiers, which consist of:
Yes, HCPSS employees are expected to return to work with or without having been vaccinated.
All HCPSS staff will have an opportunity to receive the vaccine. The planning of the vaccine distribution to HCPSS staff is a coordinated effort between the school system and Howard County Health Department (HCHD) that will continue in the weeks ahead.
HCPSS School Nurses and Health Assistants have received training on how to administer the vaccine and will support the process to vaccinate our staff and community.
Update: April 6, 2022
HCPSS employees no longer are required to provide proof of full vaccination or undergo regular weekly COVID-19 testing.
MAKO Medical continues to provide weekly testing opportunities for the following asymptomatic groups:
Non-HCPSS individuals or anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 are not permitted to use these sites.
To date, Custodial Services has successfully implemented and maintained daily cleaning and disinfection protocols to support small group instruction, student assessments and daycare programs. Additionally, to minimize the chance of infectious transmission, all custodial staff follow the HCPSS COVID-19 Work Practices guidelines, which emphasize hand washing, social distancing, wearing face coverings, and refraining from sharing equipment and tools. Staff will continue to uphold these enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols as HCPSS transitions to a hybrid learning model.
