Culver Community School Superintendent Karen Shuman presented a peak into what the preliminary plans are when Culver students go back to school on Aug. 12.
She commented that she has been in meetings with all of the Marshall County Superintendents and the Marshall County Health Department to help formulate the best practices going into this new school year with a conscious effort of student and staff safety as far as health.
Any employees who are the age of 65 and older can work from home. Employees who are at high risk should have a doctor’s note by Aug. 1 to make sure administrators know who will be present at the start of the school year.
Shuman noted that beginning July 27, employees will be doing self temperature and symptom checks.
“If the symptoms go away, they may return to work. If the symptoms remain and they don’t have test results, they can remain at home. If they have the test results and its negative, they’ll return to work, but we know it’s a daily concern and issue,” said Shuman.
Personal protective equipment will be available to all teachers and students in classrooms.
While student self health checks are encouraged at home prior to leaving for school, students will have temperatures taken with contactless thermometers before boarding the school bus. If there is a temperature of 100.4 degrees, the student will be asked to stay home if a parent or guardian is at home. If no one will be home, the student will be given a mask and isolated on the bus until the student can be quarantined at school.
Students will be wearing masks on the bus. Shuman said there will be two bus routes.
“The A route is the furthest perimeter and then the B route is the continuation of the route closer to school. We think we can get that turnaround so when the first bus route comes in we have a spray chemical we can spray each bus to get it sanitized for the second route to come on to the bus. We think we can get that done in less than an hour.”
Mock bus runs will be held in the next couple of weeks to determine if this plan will work. Shuman said start times are still in the planning stages.
Students will have their own iPad and remain in one classroom throughout the day and receive instruction. Breakfast and lunch will be served in the classroom as the students will be seated at a social distance all facing the same way. Locker rooms will remain closed, as well as student lockers, drinking fountains, and the cafeteria. Water bottle filling stations will be available or it can be purchased at the cafeteria.
Shuman hopes that all precautions taken will prevent any spread of COVID-19, especially with disinfecting hallways and restrooms every 90 minutes. If this plan continues through August, then the school could open up in phases in September or as the school year progresses.
Shuman noted that this is a fluid plan with a more final plan to be presented closer to the school year.
