Avian Flu Planning for Independent Schools

Adopted from theSchool District (K-12) Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklistand the Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist, both available at

Overview: Preparing for a pandemic

  • Education: Educate students, faculty, staff and parents about the threat of pandemic flu, how to prevent its spread and where they can find more information about influenza pandemics.
  • Planning: Assemble a group to work on an avian flu preparedness plan. Identifythe various functional areas in yourcommunity which would be directly affected by a flu outbreak andinclude representative from each of those areas, e.g. business officers, counselors, teachers, food service directors, technology coordinators and parents.
  • Prevention: What policies can you implement which will help to prevent the spread of illness? e.g. in regards to absenteeism, hand washing, vaccination, etc.

Formulating a response plan

  • Establish a response plan in the event of a) a flu outbreak in the US b) a flu outbreak in your local area c) a flu outbreak in your school.
  • See for assumptions to make when planning for a worst-case scenario. Among the assumptions are:
  • Asymptomatic individuals transmitting infection
  • On average, an infected person sill spread the virus to two other people
  • Pandemic outbreak will last 6-8 weeks
  • Multiple waves of infection could occur with each wave lasting 2-3 months
  • Up to 40% absenteeism
  • What decisions would need to be made in each of the scenarios listed above? Determine who will be responsible for making which decisions.
  • Who will communicate those decisions to the community? What channels will they use? What back-up communications systems are available?
  • What is your chain of command? Who reports to whom?
  • In the event that one or more members of your “response team” are absent, who will fill his/her/their role(s)?
  • What resources will you need in order to execute your response plan, e.g. extra hand washing supplies, masks, access to medical facilities?
  • Will your vendors be able to continue to deliver necessary supplies to your school?
  • What is the response plan timeline?
  • Who will decide if school should be closed? What circumstances would warrant school closure?
  • How will your response plan address the needs of students and families with disabilities?…who are low income? …who do not speak English? etc.
  • Communicate the school’s response plans in advance to all constituents.
  • Anticipate fear, rumors and misinformation. How will your school respond?
  • Test your plans through drills. Revise plans periodically.
  • Develop methods for keeping all members of the community up-to-date with the latest response plan.

Working with public agencies

  • Identify local, state and federal health officials who are responsible for influenza response plans and learn what their plans entail.
  • Identify local health officials responsible for case identification, quarantine and movement restrictions. In the event of an outbreak, how will you communicate with them?
  • How will your school’s response plan coordinate with local and state health department plans?

Preventing Influenza

  • How will your school monitor illness and absenteeism? What situations require alerting local health officials?
  • Teach students and adults about methods to prevent the spread of flu, e.g. proper hygiene, covering coughs, avoid touching eyes nose, mouths, etc.
  • Teach students and adults how to identify the signs of flu.
  • Do you have sufficient hand washing supplies on hand? (soap as well as alcohol-based hand cleansers)
  • What are your sick leave policies for students faculty and staff? Do they need to be revised?
  • Evaluate constituents’ access to health care services and determine how and it they should be supplemented.
  • When students, faculty or staff have been ill, when will they be allowed to return to school?
  • Consider establishing a program for monitoring travel by members of your community.
  • If someone becomes ill in school, how will the school respond? Go to Section V for the Department of Health and Human Services recommendations for school health facilities.

In the event of school being closed

  • How will you communicate with members of your community?
  • What sort of psychosocial support will your community require?
  • What sort of maintenance will be vital to the ongoing functioning of your school buildings and IT systems?
  • What operations are essential to maintain in continuous use, e.g. payroll, communications?
  • Will the health department require the use of your school’s facilities to set up a contingency hospital? ..to distribute food? or foranother use?
  • Will your school continue to provide instruction, e.g. via web-based technologies, telephone trees, local radio or TV, mail?

Planning for the financial health of your school

  • Insurance: Do you know what your insurance covers/excludes?
  • Teacher and staff contracts: will you continue to pay employees in the event of school closure? Will you require faculty and staff to work during the summer to make up school days lost due to school closure?
  • Enrollment contracts: will families be required to continue to pay tuition in the event that school is closed?