The Lower Dauphin School Board approved its plan to partially return students to classrooms for the 2020-21 school year Monday night.
The district will follow a hybrid reopening that balances in-person and remote learning for all students. According to the Lower Dauphin COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan, Group A-K will attend on Mondays and Wednesdays, Group L-Z will attend Tuesdays and Thursdays, while all students will learn online on Fridays.
Superintendent Rob Schultz said based on studies of which format could conceivably run longer into the fall, using the hybrid format will give students more days in a physical classroom than in a full reopening. He stressed the importance this will play in the overall well-being of students as they will have access to services rendered at school.
This includes opportunities to see the school nurse, counselor, as well as get food to consume at school and to take home. Schultz said he believes this format gives students the best chance at success.
“As long as there are cases of COVID-19 in the community, there are no strategies that can completely eliminate transmission risk within a school population. The goal is to keep transmission as low as possible to safely continue school activities,” officials said in the plan.
The anticipated first day of school is Aug. 31 with new rules and guidelines in place.
According to the district’s health plan, they will rely on these guiding principles to maximize social distancing:
- Limiting the number of transitions for students and staff, as is feasible, within buildings to minimize contact between students and staff
- Restricting large group areas like cafeterias, gymnasiums and large-group instruction areas
- Restricting access to buildings – allowing only students, staff and essential visitors
- Practicing social distancing (at least 6-feet distance) for all students, staff and visitors, where physically possible
- Providing hygiene education and encouraging best practices for both students and staff.
- Implementation of routine hygiene breaks throughout the day
According to the plan, students will have to share seats with siblings on the bus when possible. There will also be modifications of loading and unloading procedures. The plan said buses will be disinfected nightly at a minimum. Officials are encouraging parents and guardians to drive students to school when possible.
Once at school, students will need to wear masks and sit socially distanced at desks facing one direction in classrooms. In addition to one-way traffic in hallways, the district will limit the number of people in spaces and will stagger high-traffic times like arrival, lunches and dismissal.
Officials said they are also exploring the options of alternative classroom spaces including gyms, auditoriums and outdoors when possible.
At lunch, students will not serve themselves in the line and will have a limited selection of some items. Officials are encouraging parents to deposit cafeteria funds online to avoid the exchange of money.
There will be staggered lunches at the secondary level and extended lunch periods at elementary schools. There will be increased cleanings between lunches and alternate dining locations may be used, according to the plan.
Schools still will hold gym classes and recess but in smaller groups, with the cleaning and disinfecting of equipment. Officials plan to purchase more items to make cleaning and the limiting of sharing and easier, the plan said.
Schools will restrict nonessential visitors and limit extracurricular and educational trips.
Parents, bus drivers and other community members voiced their support and concern over the district’s plan. Parents cited the difficulty of ensuring their children are completing schoolwork while maintaining their full-time jobs that are needed to provide for the children.
One guardian emphasized the need for a sense of community support for one another. Another expressed concern about where kids will be on days when they are not in school. He added that school is where kids go to learn and be safe.
District officials heard the questions and will compile answers in a FAQ sheet which will be posted to its website. Officials said their decision-making was guided by health officials and results from a recent survey about reopening.
The district also approved its athletics safety plan during the meeting. Officials said workouts are going well so far and they will continue to follow PIAA and state guidance.
- RELATED: Here’s a look at back-to-school plans unveiled by central Pa. school districts
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Lower Dauphin schools plan to mix in-person and remote learning this fall - PennLive
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