Return To School: How Jeffco Public Schools Will Look When Students Come Back
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Jeffco Public Schools will welcome students back to classrooms on August 24th. It will look very different than previous years.
Here's a breakdown of what parents, students and staff can expect next month. This plan is subject to change as the school start date approaches.
Screenings
All students and staff entering any district building will have to take a temperature and symptom screening. And student with a temperature at above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be sent home immediately.
Face coverings will be required in all district buildings when 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained. The district has purchased PPE and will distribute it to staff as needed. Masks, both reusable and disposable, will also be available for staff and students as needed.
Testing will be provided for all Jeffco staff presenting at least one symptom, in coordination with STRIDE Community Health, at Jeffco Stadium at 6th and Kipling.
If student or staff shows any symptoms of COVID-19, they'll be moved to a dedicated isolation room in the building, apart from the normal health room. Attendance reporting of absences due to COVID-19 symptoms or quarantine will be reported to the state.
On The Way To School
Students will be required to wear masks on district transportation.
Parents will be expected to take their child's temperature before leaving the house. Any sick student should be kept at home.
Students who take the bus will be screened for temperature and symptoms when they arrive at school.
On the bus, students will be required to sit one to a seat, starting in the second row. Siblings will be allowed to sit together. There will be no moving around allowed. Buses will only be allowed to transport 22-25 students at a time.
At School
Students will remain with a predetermined cohort for the entire day. For Preschool through 5th Grades, students will learn, recreate, transition, and eat with their cohorts. For middle and high school students, cohorts will be scheduled together as much as possible. Students will attend a maximum of four classes per day, and take core and elective courses each semester/trimester.
Movement around the school in hallways should maintain the recommended six feet of distance.
Staff will be allowed to wear face shields during normal instruction. If they are next to students or other staff, both will need to wear a face mask. Masks will be required in common areas and break rooms, which will be open. Classrooms will be supplied with hand sanitizer, though hand washing is recommended.
Classrooms will not have any shared seating, and instead will only have individual desks facing the same direction. Teachers are encouraged to keep doors and windows open as much as possible to circulate outdoor air. Students will be assigned their own box of supplies which should not be shared. If sharing between small cohorts is absolutely necessary, the materials will need to be disinfected.
The district will provide meals for both in-person students and remote learners, similar to the Spring 2020 program. In school, students will pick up a "grab and go" lunch and eat it in their classrooms, outside, or in reorganized common spaces. Staff will monitor lunch periods. High school campuses will be closed for off-campus lunches. No food deliveries will be allowed. Water fountains will be closed, and students will need to bring their own water bottles or use ones provided to them by the school.
Face coverings are not required outside.
Volunteers and anyone not directly connected to the district will not be allowed in district buildings. Drop-off spaces will be set up for parents who need to drop things off for their children.
You can read the full Jeffco Public Schools restart plan here.
