In a Tuesday press release, Marshall County Schools Superintendent Trent Lovett, announced some of their plans for the upcoming school year. According to Lovett, they will be using the state's guidance on Safety Expectations and Best Practices, as well as information from the CDC in their plans for returning to school. The state's guidance can be found at the link below.
Lovett says the first day of school will be August 26, to take advantage of Senate Bill 50. The bill allows schools that begin on "the Monday nearest August 26 or later" to be responsible for 1062 instructional hours, but doens't require 170 instructional days.
To meet the 1062 hour requirement, the school will be adding twenty-five minutes to each school day. Lovett says they will accomplish this by adding ten minutes before the regular school start time, and fifteen minutes at the end of each day.
In their effort to create a "Healthy at School" environment, they will be implementing the following guidelines:
Social Distancing:
• School space will be utilized to create social distancing when possible;
• There will be alternatives to large group gatherings such as the cafeteria.
Face Masks:
• Face masks will be worn by staff and students when social distancing isn't possible, such as when changing classes or riding the bus;
• Face masks should be cleaned regularly.
Temperature Checks and Health Screenings:
• Parents are asked to check their children for COVID symptoms before leaving for school each day. If the child shows any symptoms, do not send the child to school;
• When staff and students arrive at school, a temperature check will be completed. Any staff or students with a temperature above 100.4 will be sent home or not allowed to participate in face-to-face instruction.
Sanitizing and Hygiene:
• Facilities will be cleaned and disinfected daily. High traffic areas will be cleaned throughout the day;
• Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building.
Contact Tracing:
• When possible, students will remain in a self-contained setting to limit the number of contacts made throughout the day. There will be assigned seating on buses and in the classroom;
• Volunteers and visitors will not be allowed to enter the schools beyond the office;
• Schools will cooperate with the Marshall County Health Department to identify anyone with prolonged exposure to possible cases of COVID.
Lovett asks parents to help them prepare for the upcoming school year by filling out the survey linked below.
On the Net:
SurveySafety Expectations and Best Practices
