How will Kansas City area kids go back to school? This COVID-19 plan is revealing
Note to schoolchildren: When you head back to classrooms after months of online learning from home, make sure to bring your own pencils, calculators and crayons. Sharing school supplies is now frowned upon.
And you can’t hang out with big groups of friends at lunch. Instead of going to the cafeteria, prepare to eat in your classroom.
Don’t expect to see those friends in the hallway either. They’ll all be on different schedules to avoid crowds.
And you’ll be asked to wear a mask. All day long.
After closing in March because of the coronavirus, schools across the Kansas City metro are preparing to return to in-person classes in August with a slate of new precautions.
But two schools in the North Kansas City district are ahead of the class and will test their plan first. Crestview and Winnwood elementary schools operate on a year-round schedule and are set to reopen July 13.
At its meeting Tuesday, the school board is set to review a 26-page safety plan developed by administrators, teachers and Clay County health officials for the entire district.
“Reopening schools in a manner that is responsive to the needs of families and communities will involve novel challenges with many undetermined factors,” district officials said in the plan. “NKC is prepared for any scenario that may arise.”
The plan requires teachers to wear cloth masks and “strongly encourages” that students wear them at all times “when feasible.” But it also acknowledges that wearing a mask all day can be challenging, especially young kids. Masks will be available for students on the first day of classes.
Officials expect students and teachers will spend much of the first week learning how to do school in the midst of a pandemic.
A flexible plan
Rachel Miller, the PTA president at Crestview, said she was worried students would have to stay home and not go back to classrooms on schedule. She has a child starting third grade and another going to kindergarten and didn’t want her youngest to start school without meeting the teacher face to face.
And, she said, she worried about other children who don’t have parent support to help with virtual learning, saying they might fall far behind in their education. “So I’m really glad they are heading back.”
Before developing its plan, the district surveyed parents several times for their input. Recently, Miller said, school staff called parents who have concerns. Families have the option to continue with online learning.
Erin Denton, whose 9-year-old daughter will enter fifth grade at Crestview, said she’s just hoping schools will be patient with students, especially when it comes to wearing masks.
“I would rather my child not wear a mask all day long, five days a week,” Denton said. “It is going to be a hindrance to their socialization, and the social experience is part of their education. But I get it. She is taking one with her, but it is up to her. If my child decides she is more comfortable with it on that’s fine. But if not, I want her to have the freedom to take it off.”
Denton said her daughter is eager to get back to school, “to see her friends face to face and teachers face to face. But she knows it is going to be different.”
The plan “has to be flexible,” said Susan Hiland, district spokeswoman. “What if we have a flare-up in August? Then maybe the whole plan is trashed and we have to start from scratch.” The plan does offer other scenarios, including having half the students learning in person while the other half works remotely. The next day they switch.
Regardless, what goes on inside school buildings will look different.
Consider that arrows may be taped to some classroom floors directing students in one-way foot traffic.
Students might not get to go to the music or art room. But if they do, the emptied classroom will be disinfected for their return. That’s a lot of cleaning.
And imagine when middle and high schools start back in the fall. “There is no way to avoid movement from class to class,” said Hiland. But she said they can expect the same kind of cleaning.
Safety precautions
Other safety measures to expect:
▪ Schools will limit the number of students on the playground at one time. “This may look differently at each school,” depending on playground space at each site.
▪ In the event that masks cannot be worn during activities such as singing, class moves outdoors, maintaining social distancing, or an alternative activity will been held.
▪ Food service will deliver lunch and breakfast to classrooms. Parents who send lunch with their child have to follow classroom guidelines relating to student allergies.
▪ Desks will be spread apart as much as possible in each classroom.
▪ Frequently touched surfaces, including tables, doorknobs, light switches, faucets and phones, must be cleaned with soap and water, then disinfected throughout the day.
▪ For safety reasons in recent years, students used one door to enter and exit school. Now, multiple doors will be used to keep students in smaller groups.
▪ Students will have to walk directly to their first class. No congregating in the hallways.
▪ Parents are being asked to drop students off as close to start time as possible and drive kids to and from school each day to cut down on students riding the bus.
This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
