New Kensington-Arnold School Board set to act on plan to bring all students, staff back to school - TribLIVE

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New Kensington-Arnold will attempt to bring all students back to school this fall, and will require all students and staff to wear face masks or shields in schools and on buses, according to a draft of the district’s return plan.

The district plans to start its school year on Aug. 31.

While opting for a total reopening, families could opt for distance learning if they have safety or health concerns, the plan states. The district has been surveying families, and in June was projecting that up to 600 students would not come back.

Schools would be closed if there is a spike in covid-19 cases in the district or its communities, the plan states.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its regular meeting Tuesday. The meeting, being held virtually on the Zoom platform, is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

School board President John Cope said whether the board approves the plan as prepared, or changes it, will depend on the discussion at tonight’s meeting.

“That’s just a bare-bones document. The meat and potatoes, that’s going to have to wait until tonight,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly what all the details are going to be. There were a lot of moving parts.”

Cope said the district needs to ensure safety and allow for flexibility.

“I don’t see how we’re going to get through this without doing mostly online,” he said. “It’s going to come down to what the school board thinks of everything.”

According to the draft plan, temperature checks will be done on everyone entering schools. Anyone showing or reporting symptoms of sickness throughout the day will be evaluated by a nurse.

All employees will be trained on recognizing symptoms of covid-19-related illness.

Families will be expected to self-monitor daily, and keep children who do not feel well at home. Employees will be expected to do the same.

Students and staff exposed to the virus will be required to stay home for 14 days, during which students will move to remote learning. Those confirmed to have had the virus will not be allowed back without a doctor’s release indicating they are not a risk to others.

The district will directly notify families if someone in a school is exposed or becomes ill from the virus.

The plan said all buildings and facilities will be cleaned and disinfected or sanitized before classes start, and then daily during the school year.

Custodians will clean high traffic areas and areas where students may congregate throughout the school day. The use of high-touch surfaces will be minimized, and the sharing of instructional materials will be limited. Sanitation wipes will be provided to disinfect shared items.

Classrooms and learning spaces will be arranged to maximize social distancing between students and staff. The district said it will try to keep groups of students together throughout each day and minimize the mixing of groups of students as much as possible.

The number of students congregating in communal spaces will be limited.

While the district will require wearing face masks and/or shields, it is “highly” recommending wearing masks. Outdoor areas will be used to provide short breaks during which masks may be removed. Teachers will be be allowed to use outdoor spaces for classroom activities.

Accommodations will be provided for younger students and those with unique health or learning requirements.

In the area of transportation, the district said bus routes will be adjusted to balance ridership from various neighborhoods. Parents will be encouraged to bring their children to school.

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch