Tiger Talk

News from Loveland Schools July 24, 2020

Loveland Board Contracts with Pandemic Preparedness Experts for Reopening Plan

At a special board meeting held on July 24, the Loveland City School District approved a contract with LJB, an engineering firm with military-based pandemic expertise, to help enhance their preparedness for the 2020-2021 school year.

LJB, a nationally recognized engineering firm, is led by industrial hygiene and preventive health experts who created and implemented pandemic preparedness plans, protocols, and controls while serving in the U.S. military. The LJB team will be executing a Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan for all six of Loveland’s schools. The firm will develop and select the health and safety measures to reduce the spread of infectious disease for an in-person student instruction model. LJB will do this by performing assessments, planning, and recommending health and safety controls.

"By leveraging LJB’s expertise, we are confident that we will save valuable time and resources while avoiding the high stakes consequences of reactive or trial-and-error approaches,” shared Board President Dr. Kathryn Lorenz.

The district is using funding from the Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund restricted to expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are experts at what we want to accomplish in our classrooms. They have the expertise to ensure we do so in the safest way possible,” Dr. Crouse shared.

Board member Kevin Dougherty added, “The Board’s support of striving for the full-time model was an expression of a goal for returning to in-person learning in the safest way possible. We are fortunate to have a community member from a national engineering firm with unique capacity and qualifications with military and pandemic expertise to assist us in designing and implementing layers of protection for teachers, staff, students, and essential functions.”

LJB will begin work in Loveland Schools immediately with an evaluation process of the current reopening plan starting with Loveland Elementary School first. LJB will then provide custom recommendations and guidelines for LES before assessing the remaining school plans. In the event the operation of a five-day, in-person model presents unacceptable risk levels to staff, educators, or students, LJB will advise alternative solutions. This may include consideration of other hybrid models to reduce that risk.

“We understand the focus on offering the highest degree of protections for teachers, staff, and students, while balancing the needs of all. This work will require an intense collaborative process between LJB, administration, staff, and educator representatives to develop and design healthy and safe learning environments to meet both short- and long-term needs,” said Dawn Colombi, P.M.P, the Occupational and Environmental Health Leader/Safety Director at LJB.

District to Host Back-to-School Information Sessions

On July 29 and July 30, Loveland School District is hosting both virtual and in-person meetings to share the reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year. District and building administrators will be present to answer parent questions. Links to these live meetings and a sign up form for the in-person meetings will be emailed to parents on Monday. Recordings of the meetings will be posted on the district website.

Wednesday, July 29 (students in grades 7-12): VIRTUAL

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. via YouTube Live

Presentation and Q and A.

Please submit your questions in advance via the Google form.

Wednesday, July 29 (students in grades 7-12): IN-PERSON

6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in-person meeting in LIS Cafeteria

Presentation and Q and A.

A link to a Sign Up Genius will be emailed to parents on Monday in order for us to maintain appropriate numbers and physical distancing. Masks or facial coverings are required. Temperature checks will be given prior to entry into the meeting.

Thursday, July 30 (students in grades PK-6): VIRTUAL

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. via YouTube Live

Presentation and Q and A.

Please submit your questions in advance via this Google form.

Thursday, July 30 (students in grades PK-6): IN-PERSON

6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in-person meeting in LIS Cafeteria

Presentation and Q and A.

A link to a Sign Up Genius will be emailed to parents on Monday in order for us to maintain appropriate numbers and physical distancing. Masks or facial coverings are required. Temperature checks will be given prior to entry into the meeting.

Summer Office Hours

Visitors to our buildings will be seen by appointment only during the summer. Please call the offices during the hours below to schedule an appointment. Voicemails and emails will be checked regularly by administrative staff.

LHS: 7 a.m. - 2 p.m., Monday-Friday

LMS/LIS/LES/LPS/LECC: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday-Thursday

Board of Education Office: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday -Thursday

(For phone numbers, please refer to this page on our website.)