The Indiana Department of Education released information Friday morning concerning health guidelines given to schools in order to reopen safely.
Schools officially open in July and they may begin an in-person school year according to a a locally approved calendar in the fall, or it may be adjusted if deemed necessary by school board members. School corporation officials may choose to do a mixture of in-school and virtual learning to ease into the school year which may be discussed in the next couple of months.
The health recommendations for schools were made on a collaborative effort that Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said follows the main guidelines already in place.
“It’s guidance,” she said. “It’s using the basic premises and the important things that we know that the CDC has said about opening up anything across the state and then applying those to our school systems.”
Dr. Jennifer Sullivan from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration commented that many of the guidelines were fashioned from those already in place at childcare facilities around the State of Indiana.
Dr. Box said school corporations should coordinate with local health departments to make sure all guidelines can be met when school reopens this fall.
Additionally, they’re making sure schools, when able, can keep students together in the same room with the same kids and the same teachers to help stop the spread of COVID-19. They’re also working to slow the spread of COVID-19 in other school-related matters.
“As they transport kids on the bus, schools can make sure they sit in about the same place so we know if somebody is exposed or becomes COVID-positive who would have been sitting around them that we need to be able to contact and to investigate further. They can make sure that rather than having all of the desks in a big circle that we actually have them facing straight forward. Students when they’re in groups, like to go to the bathroom or to get their lunch, they do have masks on, but maybe while they’re sitting there getting instruction and everyone is facing forward, you can take your mask off and get your instruction that way.”
Dr. Box hopes that students and staff members will stay home if they are sick.
“If you’re sick, if somebody at home is sick, absolutely if someone at home has COVID-19, you don’t come to school. That’s very important because you may not be showing signs or symptoms, but you may very well carry that to school and infect other individuals.”
It is recommended that frequent hand washing take place throughout the school day. Students and staff are encouraged to take advantage of additional personal protective measures throughout the school day to stay safe.
When it comes to playground equipment, Dr. Box encourages frequent hand washing and educating children to keep hands away from their face and mouth.
