Coronavirus - COVID-19

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, Governor Evers declared a Public Health Emergency for the State of Wisconsin and called upon the people of Wisconsin to work aggressively to slow the spread of COVID-19. On Friday, March 13, 2020, Governor Evers directed the Department of Human Services to close all schools in Wisconsin until April 6 2020. On March 17, 2020, Governor Evers issued another order prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people. It also amended the timeline for school closure which originally included a return to school on April 6, to a closure for "...the remainder of the public health emergency." On March 24, 2020 Governor Evers issued the Safer at Home order to be in effect from March 25, 2020 through April 24, 2020, requiring residents of Wisconsin to avoid all non-essential travel and business services.

On April 16th, Governor Evers extended the Safer at Home order through May 26th and further closed our schools and programs until the end of the school year (June 30th).

The School District of Menomonee Falls values the health, safety and well-being of students, staff and families. We will continue to monitor federal, state and local legislation in order to provide pertinent information to our employees in a timely manner.

We have created this site for employees to reference critical communications from the district office as well as provide helpful resources during this time. Please contact the Human Resource team with any questions or concerns you may have.

Human Resources Information

Staff Communications

Department of Workforce Development (Unemployment)

CARES Act Unemployment Information

Governor Evers press releases addressing assistance to businesses and families can be found by c licking here .

Report to Work Information

If you are exhibiting symptoms related to the COVID-19 virus (coughing, fever, upper respiratory issues) or have potentially been exposed to COVID-19, it is mandatory that you do not physically report to work and contact Melissa Beck in Human Resources at beckmel@sdmfschools.org, or via phone at (262) 255-8396.

The District is requiring any employee who is reporting to a building site to complete the COVID-19 Health Check Survey. Please review the process below.

COVID-19 Health Check Process

Mask Protocol while on District Property

Time off needed due to COVID-19

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) is new legislation effective April 1, 2020 that requires employers to provide employees with additional paid sick leave and expanded family medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.

If you are unable to report to work due to a COVID-19 related reason, please contact Human Resources, or complete the Employee Request for Leave under FFCRA and return it to the Human Resource office.

For more information on how the Families First Coronavirus Response Act may apply to your need for time off, please review the Employee Paid Leave Rights and FFCRA Q&A.

District Travel Safety Procedures

The District is requiring all employees to notify the Human Resource Department of any recent/upcoming travel plans. If you are traveling out of the country, on a cruise, to any locations now identified or become identified as Alert Level 2 or Warning Level 3 area, it is mandatory that you notify Human Resources by completing the required Google survey - Mandatory Travel Reporting.

What if I have upcoming travel plans?

Review updated CDC information for travelers, including FAQ for travelers, and consult with state and local health officials. Please contact the CDC directly at (800) 232-4636, TTY (888) 232-6348 for the latest guidance as well. The District will reinforce the CDC’s recommendations on exposure risk and subsequent quarantine.

Does the District offer any travel assistance programs?

All employees of the District have access to Travel Assistance through our carrier partner Reliance Standard. This service provides emergency medical, legal and travel assistance information and referral service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

What if I am quarantined due to my travel?

If staff is traveling for personal reasons, any time missed from work due to a subsequent quarantine will be excused. Please contact Human Resources for further information on applicable paid time under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

What if I travel to my destination, and it changes to an Alert Level 2 or Warning Level 3 area?

Any staff who have returned from a Level 2/Level 3 Risk Area, or who have been in contact with others who have returned from a Level 2/Level 3 Risk Area will be asked to not return to work or attend district-related events as directed by the CDC. Please review updated CDC information for travelers, including FAQ for travelers, and consult with state and local health officials for guidance. The District will reinforce the CDC’s recommendations on exposure risk and subsequent quarantine.

Health and Wellness Community Resources

The Optum Emotional Support Help Line at 1-866-342-6892 is free of charge and available to anyone, so you can share it with family and friends.

Caring professionals will connect people to resources. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We know this is a difficult time for employees as you must ensure the health and safety of your own family. Here are some additional resources to support you and your family during this time.

General Health and Wellness Guide (DPI)
- General Mental Health and Wellness
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness
- Parent, Caregiver, and Educator Mental Health and Wellness
- Positive Parenting and Safe Home Environments

Coping with Stress During an Infectious Disease Outbreak (from SAMHSA)

Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus

COVID-19 FAQ

Preventive Measures for Certain Age Groups

CDC Guidelines for COVID-19 Illness or Exposure

How to Protect Yourself and Others
Get Connected. Get Help. Click here for more information.

Menomonee Falls Food Pantry. Click here

There are many ways to keep you and your family active and engaged during this time. Here are just a few!

Click here for ways to stay active and healthy during this time

How to get outside responsibly

Here are some ways to enjoy the extra time we have with our families:

101 things to do when the kids say they are bored (these may not all be applicable at this time but there are some great ideas!)

Start a puzzle (a big one!)

Fly kites

Color

Online kids cooking videos

At home with Y - Join a challenge or virtual workout!

Download the Audible app for FREE books for you and the kids!

Employee Benefit Resources

TELADOC

The District offers TELADOC, which gives you access 24 hours a day, seven days a week to a board-certified provider through the convenience of phone, video or mobile app visits. Accessing care virtually will reinforce social distancing and limit risk of exposure. The District highly encourages staff to log on and enroll in the program before you need access to care. Teladoc FAQ’s

TELEMEDICINE is NOW covered under our health plan

The District has implemented the coverage of Telemedicine for all covered members effective back to 3/1/2020 to support employees and their families in getting the care they need during this time. This benefit will cover virtual visits with your providers as in-network benefits that will track towards the in-network deductible.

Please note that this benefit is different than your Teladoc benefits. Teladoc visits are set at a specific cost to members. Telemedicine coverage allows us expanded access to virtual visits with our own personal providers, however, the cost for the visit can vary and may be at the same cost share to us as a regular office visit.

Testing and Treatment of COVID-19 under the District Health Plan

Testing for COVID-19 will be covered as 100% preventive (no out of pocket cost to employee) under the District's health plan. Treatment for COVID-19 is a covered health benefit and will be subject to the deductible and out-of-pocket cost under the plan.

Over The Counter (OTC) Medications NOW covered under HSA/FSA

With the passing of the CARES Act, coverage for Over the Counter (OTC) drugs and medicines has been reinstated under our FSA/HSA benefits! This includes commonly used items such as pain relievers, aspirin, allergy medicines and cough suppressants. It also further expands the definition of qualified OTC items to include menstrual care products. This is a HUGE addition to our benefits as it greatly expands the list of items that qualify for tax-free reimbursement through our FSAs and HSAs. CLICK HERE for more information on how to submit claims for these additional benefits.

Staff Meeting Q&A

We are making every effort to answer questions promptly, using the best information we know at the current time. We will continue to share new information with you as it becomes available. We appreciate your patience.

Will summer school and ESY occur virtually or be cancelled depending on district and state mandates surrounding Safer At Home?

Summer school and CE&Rec programming will be adjusted based on student needs, state and local guidelines related to COVID-19 and available staffing. Specific to summer school we expect most will be virtual and focused on interventions and credit recovery. We also hope to have some structured options in place to help students avoid a deeper summer slide.

Some districts (Wauwatosa, Sussex-Hamilton) are moving to a 4 day school week for students. The 5th day is used as a planning day for staff. Is that something being considered here?

It is important that we see our commitment to students and families through to the end of the year; we will finish what we started with pride. We intend to make some allowances for end of year conferencing, grading, and building closure activities. We will continue instruction and those services through our school year.

The District has been asking employees to work remotely as much as possible. When is it okay to report?

Wherever possible we have been encouraging people to work from home but we have allowed latitude across the district to access work spaces where it is most practical. While I have worked virtually most days there have been days where I have gone into the office because I wanted to check in with those that are reporting, needed a space to meet while others in my family are working virtually at home, or wanted to check in on the office. We typically have 1-5 people working in that space and we all practice social distance. In my opinion employees across the district including the team referenced in this question have respected the spirit of our guidelines. Let’s all continue to assume positive intent of all of our team members.

If staff personal days were budgeted, why can't we do a simple gesture of thanks to employees to roll them over? That would be a very simple way to show staff appreciation

One (1) personal day will be allowed to be rolled over into the 2020-21 school year for any 10 month employee (working or furloughed) who has a remaining personal day at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

Has the district begun thinking about how to handle next school year in the case of possible flare-ups of COVID-19 that may disrupt the learning year in a similar fashion to this year?

We have. While nothing is certain we don’t expect that the fall will look the same as what we have always done. We have begun to gather all we can to preview the challenges we might face. We are testing monitoring processes through our current daily reporting survey. The facilities team is beginning to consider additional steps they may need to take relative to social distancing and cleaning. We are looking at the experiences of schools internationally to understand some of their approaches and barriers. As we close out the decisions for this spring we will develop specific teams to consider these challenges. All that I am certain of is that Falls Schools will overcome all obstacles that might impede our mission to serve students and families.