West Central students will be encouraged but not required to wear face masks when they return to school next month. The school corporation released its COVID-19 reopening plans Tuesday.
At this point, classes are expected to start as scheduled on August 12, but West Central will also offer a distance learning option for families who choose to keep their kids home. In the classroom, desks will be spread out as much as possible and will all be facing the same direction. Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom and in common areas.
At lunch, the elementary cafeteria will be limited to one or two grade levels at a time, and extra lunch periods will be added at the middle/high school. Students may also be eating in gyms and other spaces, as another way to increase social distancing. To lower the number of kids on each school bus, parents are encouraged to drive their students to school, and bus routes will be reconfigured.
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 they have a negative test and have been symptom-free for at least 72 hours. Anyone who lives with someone who has COVID-19 should stay away from school for 10 calendar days.
However, plans may be adjusted, depending on conditions.
