The Lynchburg-Clay Local School District has released its reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year. School will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 26 — a delay of one week, according to superintendent Brett Justice’s online letter to parents, guardians and students.
During the week of July 27, Justice said teachers will call parents and guardians to determine whether their children will attend classes in person or will complete coursework virtually.
The letter did not specify whether students attending classes in person would attend school five days a week, and Justice did not return calls from The Times-Gazette seeking comment.
The following are major points from the six-page document detailing the district’s plans. The full document may be viewed at www.lynchclay.k12.oh.us. The district stressed that these plans may change.
For precautions and protocols for in-person classes:
* The district asks that parents, guardians and students conduct wellness checks at home. Students with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher should stay home. Students with symptoms of COVID-19 — or who have a link to a COVID-19 case — should stay home from school and see their primary care provider.
* According to the district’s plan, “If a student is diagnosed as having COVID-19, they must meet the following criteria to return to school: three days with no fever (without using fever reducing medication) and other symptoms improved and 10 days since symptoms first appeared.” Students who have a fever with no other symptoms may return to school after they have been fever-free for 72 hours without fever-reducing medications.
* The district said it is working with the Highland County Health Department to develop a method to alert the families of those who may have been exposed if a student or staff member contracts COVID-19.
* As of earlier this week, the district said it would require all staff members, volunteers and visitors to wear face coverings, like masks and face shields, “unless it is unsafe to do so or where doing so would significantly interfere with the learning process”; the district recommended that students in grades three and up wear face coverings. However, on Wednesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine mandated that all Ohioans should wear face coverings while in public.
* Visitors are discouraged.
* While riding the bus, students will have assigned seats. There will be two to three students per seat, and the district said it will attempt to seat students from the same household together.
* According to the plan, “In the event that state policies require school districts to use alternative schedules, the Lynchburg-Clay School District may adopt minimum requirements for transportation to reduce the number of students who are eligible for school district transportation.”
* The district may restrict the use of certain pieces of playground equipment.
For virtual learning:
* Students are enrolled in virtual learning for one semester at a time, but may later return to in-person classes.
* According to the document detailing the district’s reopening plan, “This virtual online learning is not like the remote learning/home based learning that was used in the spring. This virtual online learning requires reliable internet and students will complete online modules according to the online platform provided by the district.”
Reach McKenzie Caldwell at 937-402-2570.
