(Uniontown, Ohio) – On Thursday, July 2 Governor Mike DeWine announced guidelines and parameters for a return to school for the upcoming school year.
State parameters are as follows:
- Daily health checks (students or staff with temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit will need to stay at home)
- Send home students and staff who show symptoms and contact the local health department
- Work with the health department to implement a testing strategy
- Wash and sanitize hands
- Provide ample opportunities to wash hands
- Provide hand sanitizer at high traffic areas and at entrances of buildings and classrooms
- Clean surfaces and buildings
- Practice social distancing (six feet as often as possible)
- Face covering policy
- Require school staff to wear face coverings
- It is recommended that students 3rd grade and up wear face coverings
In their latest communication, the Lake Local School district indicated officials are still awaiting additional guidance from the Stark County Health Department and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) before announcing firm plans for the fall.
“Please understand that our desire is to have all of our students back in school on a regular schedule,” officials indicated in a public statement via the district’s website. “Additional safety precautions will be put in place to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ohio Department of Health, and the Stark County Health Department. We are dedicated to providing our students with high-quality instruction tailored to their needs and comfort levels, so families will have the ability to choose between these two learning formats.”
As of July 2nd, officials indicated plans to offer families a choice of learning formats for their children.
- Option 1: Attend in-person school at district buildings, as allowable by health officials. The district will be prepared for a full return.
The District plans to continue busing with safety protocols in place as supported by the Stark County Health Department. They indicated they expect updates to that guidance soon.
- Option 2: Enroll in Lake Local Schools full-time at-home learning option. This learning option will be an online instructional system taught by Lake Local Schools teachers. Enrollment information will be available soon.
Students who have health concerns and are at a higher medical risk of contracting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) will be given priority placement. Families who intend to select this option will be asked to commit to at least 9 weeks of virtual learning.
- Further guidance on selecting Option 1 or 2 will be communicated by July 22nd.
During the midst of any type of return to school, the potential of having to close again is a possibility. If the State or local health departments mandate another closure we will move to a full online model. “We have been working diligently on our online platform to improve on what we delivered this past spring,” officials added.
Officials indicated in the report plans to announce an official approach for the school year by July 22nd, 2020. However, as of July 27th, 2020, no public plan was able to be found.
District families can stay up-to-date as new information is released by the district here.
