Eastern Pulaski students will be “strongly encouraged” to wear face masks when they return to class next month. The school corporation has released its COVID-19 reopening protocols.
As with many local school corporations, Eastern Pulaski will also offer a distance learning option for families who choose to keep their kids home. For students attending class in-person, they’ll each be given a refillable bottle of hand sanitizer, and touch-less hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the buildings. Students’ desks will be spread out as much as possible and will all be facing the same direction. Music and PE classes may be held outdoors, depending on the weather. Locker assignments will also be spaced out. Drinking fountains will be turned off, but bottle filling stations will be available.
Social distancing will also take place at lunchtime. Tables will be spread out as much as possible, and students may be eating in the elementary school gym and high school gym balcony. The elementary cafeteria will be limited to one or two grade levels at a time. Bus routes will be reconfigured to lower the number of students on each bus, and bus riders will have to stick to a consistent schedule to make potential contact tracing easier
It will be up to parents to screen their children for potential COVID-19 symptoms before sending them to school. Students who test positive will not be allowed to return to school until at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms and they’ve been symptom-free for at least 72 hours.
Eastern Pulaski’s COVID-19 reopening plans were approved by the school board Monday, according to the draft meeting minutes. Much of the plan is similar to the one being used by West Central, since both school corporations worked together to coordinate a countywide plan.
