GREENE COUNTY — Greene County public school systems have developed common agreements on how to handle the coronavirus pandemic as district’s prepare their individual plans to return to the classroom.
“By mid-June 2020, Ohio had not yet been given clear guidance on reopening schools for the 2020-21 school year,” the common agreement document issued Wednesday read. “Due to the need to have plans in place for the start of the 2020-21 school year, school district superintendents from each school district in Greene County, along with the Greene County Educational Service Center and Greene County Career Center, came together...to identify common practices.”
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The plan includes health considerations, communication protocol, class instruction, transportation and other considerations for districts in Bellbrook, Beavercreek, Fairborn, Xenia, Cedar Cliff, Yellow Springs, Greenview Local Schools and the Greene County Career Center.
Students that are diagnosed with COVID-19 with have to have 3 days without a fever (without using a fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms have improved. They also must be past 10 days since symptoms first appeared. To return to school after a positive case, the student must be taken to school by a parent and checked by the school’s nurse.
Each district will be working with Greene County Public Health on a universal communication protocol that will be developed by the county, not the district. The communication template will specify to parents which classroom, bus, school or other area a confirmed case was in. It also will include contact tracing, quarantine periods for students and staff.
Each district will be offering a remote learning option for parents who do not wish to send their child to school. Remote learning will have to be agreed upon for an entire semester. Students will not be allowed to come in and out of remote learning within each semester.
Face coverings in classrooms and other areas of district buildings will be determined by each individual district.
For transportation, Greene County schools may allow multiple students per seat depending on the individual situation. There will be an attempt to sit siblings together. Seating charts also are recommended for buses to assist with contact tracing. Face coverings may be required for drivers and students and the district may refuse to transport those refusing to wear face coverings.
Districts are expected to release more detailed plans specific to its individual school system as the summer continues.
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