Hoover City Schools has instituted a universal masking mandate for the first theory (30) days of school.  Facial coverings will be provided to students in need of a mask. Parents and families are encouraged to examine the health of their students daily to include temperature checks.  Hand sanitizer will be provided throughout the school including classrooms and common areas.  Parents can request and will be provided a partition for their child’s desk or table if they so choose.  Students and drivers are required to wear facial coverings on the public school buses where masks and hand sanitizer will be available to drivers and riders.  In the school cafeterias, a la carte items such as salads and fruits will continue to be individually wrapped.  Hand sanitizer will be available here as well and children are encouraged to socially distance while eating their meal(s). Following the report of a positive person in a school, personnel will carry out disinfecting protocols in all involved areas.  Water fountains will be closed off but the water filling stations will still be accessible.  Enhanced ventilation measures are installed to accommodate high efficiency filters and minimize harmful particles in the air.  High efficiency filters will be routinely changed at each facility.  Students will be screened before participating in field trips or school travel.  

Hoover City Schools will use multiple data sources to identify students that have been impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic.  These sources will include but are not limited to standardized test results, diagnostic results, formative assessments, review of absenteeism based on illness or quarantine, those students who chose virtual schooling in the last 18 months, socio-economic status, and warning signs and symptoms of increased anxiety, helplessness or other social emotional needs.  Based on the data gathered, Hoover City Schools will allocate the evidence based resources to students that are determined to be most negatively impacted.  A plan will be developed to assist individual students based on their area of need along with frequent assessment of progress to determine the efficacy of interventions.  Students identified as disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will be prioritized based on the aforementioned data points.  

Hoover City Schools is dedicated to eliminating barriers based on gender, race, color, national origin, disability and age that prohibits equal access to educational and extracurricular offerings. The district's strategic plan outlines goals, objectives, resources and outcomes to ensure comparable access to programs and activities. Additionally, supplemental funding is utilized to eliminate financial barriers for at-risk stakeholders. Annual needs assessments are used to identify areas where additional support is needed. Building and district administrators collaborate throughout the school year to ensure participation and program offerings are accessible to all students, and that pertinent professional development is provided to all teachers.  Hoover City schools will ensure equal access to, or participation in resources, projects, or activities afforded to the district from federal funds by:

• Assessing and gathering information on all students including those that are virtual.

• Prioritizing our most vulnerable and marginalized student populations.

• Providing transportation and meals when possible to eliminate barriers to participation.

• Creating student specific plans to target needs.

• Providing access to activities with no financial obligation on the part of the students or families.

• Providing compensation to certified teachers.

Hoover City Schools will monitor allocations by reviewing the funding expenditures monthly with the Chief School Financial Officer, the Director of Federal Programs and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.  Data will be collected by the personnel implementing the activities or projects and reported back to the review committee.  The budget for the federal funding received thus far was shared with our community at a work session hosted by the Board of Education.  Hoover City Schools will continue to periodically update the community at our monthly Board of Education Meetings.

Hoover City Schools asked our school community to evaluate their experiences after a year living with the COVID-19 pandemic, and suggest projects and activities that would address some of the educational and social-emotional needs caused by COVID-19. These suggestions were reviewed by a small committee and relief funds were allocated to select projects. Funds were budgeted to support the Bridges program. The Bridges program supports our families through counseling.  The intervention counselors are working with students and families that are affected by substance abuse due to the increased prevalence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

 As funds continue to be budgeted, stakeholders are consulted and encouraged to offer guidance.