The Attala County School District Monday night endorsed a plan allowing students to return to the classroom, but with many modifications related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Superintendent Kyle Hammond noted that what is planned now may need to be changed as circumstances and state requirements evolve in the coming weeks.
“Traditional school as we’ve known it will no longer exist,” he told the school board. “When we say ‘traditional,’ we’re talking about the schedule, the calendar, the number of days we’re open and the hours that we have.”
Parents who are not comfortable sending their children to school will be permitted to opt for distance learning. Early in the year, Hammond said that option will be less robust than later in the year, after the district hopes to receive devices and connectivity devices from the state — if funding is approved by the state legislature.
“We may be looking at November or December before we get the devices, so if you do keep your child at home, the alternative if you don’t have connectivity at home is for the district to provide instructional packets until the spring,” he said.
Even with connectivity devices, the lack of broadband will prevent distance learning from being ideal, because “broadband, that is one to two years out even if funded,” said the Superintendent.
It will be recommended that parents who can drive their student to school do so, and upon arrival at school, student temperature checks will be done. For students taking the bus, temperatures will be checked before being allowed on board.
“This will be the most difficult part — the buses. This is where we will be most at-risk. We strongly encourage wearing face masks on the bus,” said Hammond.
Any student who exceeds the temperature limit will be asked to be tested and remain at home until results are available. If a student tests positive, they must remain at home for 14 days. All close-contact students and teachers would then likely be asked to quarantine for 14 days if they have no symptoms.
Hammond said the proposed precautions are coming from health and education leaders.
“These safety precautions are coming straight from the CDC, other states and other schools,” he said. “I am not just making them up.”
The district has developed these over-arching guidelines, but each school may meet them in slightly different ways.
“This is the district level. Each school will have their own individual plans that will be more detailed,” Hammond told the board, with work beginning on those site-specific plans immediately.
Priorities will be to teach and reinforce good hygiene with hand sanitizer readily available. Masks can be worn, with the district making them available for any adults or children who want them, but they will not be required.
“As far as requiring masks, as of now, that is not a suggestion,” according to the Superintendent.
Everyone will be encouraged to bring their own water bottle and school water fountains will be shut off. Refilling will be available.
Schools will be deep-cleaned prior to opening and classrooms will be cleaned at every opportunity when they are vacated. When possible, teachers will be moved from classroom to classroom instead of gathering groups of students to move.
Some materials will be removed from classrooms to allow students to be spread out more.
Although the district currently intends to have a “traditional” model, both hybrid and distance-learning models can be implemented if circumstances change.
“Things are changing rapidly. Things are changing every day, so it all could be completely different by this time next month,” said Hammond.
