(Malvern, Ohio) – The Brown Local School District is announcing both a traditional in-school format and an online learning option for the upcoming school year.
The first day of school for Brown Local Students will be August 20th, 2020. The district is offering two options for families to choose from for instruction.
- Traditional in-school format five days a week with added safety measures for all students.
- Online learning for families who choose not to send their child(ren) to school. The online format will be through the Acellus learning platform and officials indicate school staff will regularly contact students participating. Students who choose online learning will have the option to transfer to in-person learning after nine weeks. All students will receive a Chromebook. Parents are required to attend a parent orientation program and students enrolled online are still eligible to play school sports.
The deadline to choose in-person or online format is Wednesday, July 29th.
School personnel also indicated that the district or an individual building may be directed to close by the state or local health departments at any time. Should this scenario take place, all students will transition to remote learning.
Additional measures that will be implemented include:
Facemasks
- All students from pre-K to grade 12 will be required to wear a face covering, such as a mask or a neck gaiter, while inside all buildings and on buses. Face covering breaks may be given throughout the day.
- Disposable masks will be available for students who need one.
- All staff will be required to wear a face-covering unless it is deemed unsafe to do so.
Health Checks
- Parents will be expected to perform health checks each morning to ensure their child is feeling well and not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. If a child is showing any symptoms, the student is not permitted to attend school until he/she is symptom-free for 72 hours without medication.
- Should a student present symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, he/she will be sent to a designated quarantine room in the building and will be given a face covering. The student’s parents will be contacted and asked to pick up their child. Should the COVID-19 test come back positive, the family will be advised to contact their local health department and to notify the school district.
Transportation
- Up to two students per seat on school buses.
- All students will be required to wear a face-covering on buses.
- Arrival and dismissal procedures will be altered to avoid congestion in any one area. Students are expected to walk directly to their homerooms and not gather in common areas.
Food and Drink
- Lunches will be served in the cafeteria for all grade levels with seating altered to allow for spacing. Areas other than the cafeteria, such as classrooms, may also be used.
- Breakfast may be a grab and go style for some or all grade levels.
- Cafeteria staff will follow safety guidelines including providing single-serve lunches.
- Drinking fountains will be used as water bottle filling stations only. Students will be advised to bring their own water bottle to school daily.
Cleaning
- High-use areas such as buses, cafeteria,s restrooms, and classrooms will receive daily sanitization.
- Frequent handwashing will be part of the daily routine. Hand sanitizer will also be available in all areas.
- Chromebooks will be sanitized at the end of the day before being returned to charging cards. If devices are shared, they will be sanitized between uses with a wipe.
Social Distancing
- All classrooms will plan to maximize physical distancing.
- Recess may be altered to reduce the number of students in the area at one time
- Transitions, such as between classrooms and going to the restroom, may be scheduled to avoid hallway congestion and crossover between groups of students.
Additionally, visitor and volunteer access will be limited and there have been no details released yet regarding field trips.
More information regarding the plan can be found here.
