School districts nationwide were forced to close in March due to the spread of COVID-19. After months of closures, the State of California is slowly easing into plans to reopen public schools for the 2020-2021 school year. To ensure the safety of students, staff, and faculty, the California Department of Education has created a guidebook for school districts to follow. Reporter Andrew Dieleman tells us some of those plans…
The guidebook for reopening public schools in California contains detailed information on maintaining health and safety of students, staff, and faculty (including hygiene practices, the use of protective equipment, and social distancing); numerous options for changing the structure of education programs (including possible staggered schedules to reduce class sizes); plans to continue numerous mental health programs for students; as well as changes to student meal programs, bus schedules, and much more. The guidebook is not “one size fits all;” school districts will continue to work with local health departments to establish local safety protocols.
Full guidebook:
