Employee vaccinations FAQ
Anoka-Hennepin Schools does not require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees. The district partnered with county public health on voluntary vaccination clinics for employees and students during the spring of 2021. Any future clinics coordinated with county public health will be offered on a voluntary basis.
Additional employee FAQ
Everything from health to facility questions/answers are included below.
As an employee, what if I feel like I’m sick with COVID-19?
Employees are asked to report their symptoms to their health care provider and follow those professional’s instructions and the guidelines in place from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Please then share any pertinent information with your supervisor, as with any other absence, and use your allocated sick time as needed.
What sort of physical and mental health resources are available to support employees?
Here are a variety of resources to support employee physical and mental health:
- Employee Wellness Program. A coordinated district and school level program. Promotes wellness events, YMCA seasonal promotions, flu shot clinics, online resources through Medica, and more.
- Optum Employee Assistance Program.
- School Mini Grants. Wellness committee coordinates funding to schools to pursue health related improvements for staff.
- Reduced pricing for fitness, financial and health classes through Anoka-Hennepin Community Education. Employees receive $10 off classes for yoga and meditation, nutrition, financial health and fitness offerings.
- Financial Health Seminar Series. A free-monthly series that aims to reduce stress in financial decisions such as social security, insurance and more.
- Minnesota Department of Health: Supporting Mental Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19, Taking Care of your Emotional Health.
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Secondary Traumatic Stress for Educators. This webinar describes risk factors for and signs of secondary traumatic stress in educators, as well as techniques for prevention and self-care.
- Self-Care During COVID-19: For Student Support Professionals. Strategies from the University of Michigan to help you maintain your strength and resilience while supporting others.
- Mindfulness through Movement. Brief information regarding ways to practice mindfulness (and manage stress levels) through movement.
- Virtual Calming Room. This website provides sounds/music, visual relaxation, guided imagery, apps and other resources to help calm staff members when stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious.
- The Gratitude Diaries. Prefer to listen? Check outside this free podcast. Relying on both amusing personal experiences and extensive research, the host explores how gratitude can transform every aspect of life. She learns how gratitude changes the neurons of your brain. Join Janice on the Gratitude Diaries every weekday for practical, down-to-earth tips on how to add gratitude to your everyday life.
- Are you an administrator concerned about a staff member experiencing performance issues in their role? Contact Employee Services to discuss the matter.
What has Anoka-Hennepin done to their ventilation systems to ensure student and staff safety during COVID-19?
Anoka-Hennepin has been investing in updated ventilation systems for more than 20 years, specifically to increase the amount of outside air circulated through school sites.
The district’s ventilation systems are designed to provide at least 20% outside air in schools/sites at any given time. Filtration systems clean both outside and inside air continuously. This system does not allow any air to bypass the filter, and our filters are changed three times per year.
These systems serve every classroom and common area at each school/site and they are designed to perform a minimum full volume air exchange at least seven times per hour.
To ensure students and employees enter the school buildings with fresh air in place, all air systems are now being purged daily beginning two hours before occupancy as one more step in ensuring clean, exchanged air for all schools/sites.
I’m not sure I believe that the air in my space is exchanged and/or filtered. How can I get proof of this?
All of our building supervisors (lead custodians) can access information on each air handler to determine the cubic feet per minute (CFM) exchange per hour, per room. The report of the performance of all of district air handling units was performed by a third party.
Air filtration at all sites ensures best in class systems are in place. Currently, air at all schools is cleaned by MERV 8 filters at a minimum. These will all be upgraded to MERV 11 filters on older air handling units. All newer systems have a minimum of MERV 13 filtration, and many exchange air through two or three filters per unit.
If someone wishes to see the filters, they can be made available for viewing by building supervisors.
The air in my room is hot and stuffy. I’m worried that there is no air flow and the ventilation is poor. Is this true?
It is important to remember that the air handling system is bringing in outside air. If it is hot and humid outside, it will be bringing in hot and humid air unless the system is designed to dehumidify the air. If you have any concerns about the type or operation that serves the room you occupy, please notify the building supervisor (lead custodian).
I don’t feel like I have the right air circulation in my room and my room/area is too hot because my school/site doesn’t have a dehumidification system yet. Can I bring in a fan or request one? Can I open my windows?
As far as a fan goes, talk to your building supervisor (lead custodian) to determine the benefits or drawbacks of having a fan in your specific space. While our district doesn’t have fans for every space, they can be made available in many cases. The same answer applies to opening windows during the day. In some cases it can help airflow, depending on your air handling system. However, in some buildings, particularly those with dehumidification systems, an open window actually works against the system by making it work harder to extract the moisture from the air.
Can I bring in my own air purification system?
Yes, as long as it is only equipped with HEPA filtration and is “UL” listed. Please work with your building supervisor (lead custodian) to ensure these two criteria are met. The purifier will be considered a personal device and you will be responsible for its maintenance. Anoka-Hennepin doesn’t allow ozone generators or ionization units because most generate an irritant as a byproduct.
The univent in my classroom kicks out hot air and it’s noisy. Can I shut it off when I’m teaching?
Univents bring in outside air, filter it, heat it when necessary, and deliver that air to the classroom. These units are to be operational, at the high speed setting, at all times when our schools/sites are occupied. No one, except custodial staff, should be adjusting the speed or turning off these units. If you have a concern about the univent, please contact the building supervisor (lead custodian).
I’ve heard HEPA filters are the best out there. Does Anoka-Hennepin use HEPA filters?
All Anoka-Hennepin facilities have filtration, which is very good filtration for their intended purpose. However, school ventilation systems are not typically designed to use HEPA filtration because it may reduce air flow and the number of air exchanges.
The district will have a minimum of MERV 11 filtration at every site when the 2020-21 school year begins. Many of our air handlers have MERV 13 filters and an additional two MERV 8 filters, thus forcing exchanged air through three filters. The district is exploring additional options to enhance our schools/sites’ capacity to inactivate viruses and allergens.