• Staff and all students kindergarten and older will be required to wear face coverings. This could be any mask or cloth face covering with more than one layer of fabric. If you do not have a mask to bring from home, one will be provided for you. Plastic face shields are NOT acceptable, per Health Department Guidelines.

• Masks will be required at all times (including on buses) when social distancing cannot be achieved. There will be certain circumstances where masks can be lowered when stationary, but they will need to be put back on if moving about the room.

• Desks will be spaced further apart to ensure a minimum of six feet between students when possible. If social distancing cannot be achieved, face coverings will be required.

• As much as possible, outdoor spaces will be utilized for learning.

• Physical barriers may be installed where social distancing is not possible.

  1. Plastic face shields are NOT an acceptable alternative, according to the Health Dept.

  2. The ONLY exemption to this is a signed medical waiver from a licensed medical professional.

• Students who refuse to follow social distancing and wearing a mask will face disciplinary actions consistent with School Board policies and guidelines.

• There will be staggered arrival times and departure times, as well as staggered recess and lunch, to prevent crowds of students in one area. Car riders, walkers, and bus riders will arrive at various times and enter at various locations. Please reference your school's individual plan for more details.

• • Meals will be served in smaller group settings. Meal times may be staggered more than in previous years. Please reference your school's individual plan for more details.

• Students who ride the bus will be required to wear face coverings/masks while on board. They will have their temperature checked by a bus monitor prior to boarding. If their temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher, they will either have to get off the bus if a parent or guardian is present, or be isolated on the bus and have their temperature re-checked upon arrival at school.

• Anyone coming into the building will have their temperature checked prior to entering the building. If a student has a temperature of 100.4 or higher, a second reading will be taken. If the second reading is still 100.4 or higher, the student will not be permitted to enter the school and will be required to go home. No one (students, staff, etc.) can return to school until they are fever free for 72 hours without fever-reducing medication.

• Students will be split into two groups based on primary household (students in the same household will be assigned to the same group, regardless of last name). Students in the A/B Model will alternate between in-person learning and distance learning.

• You will be contacted on August 4th, 2020 via the email address used for Online Registration to inform you to which group your student(s) belong (A or B). The email will be from Infinite Campus.

• Parents and visitors may have limited access to the school campus. This means there will be little to no access inside the school without a scheduled appointment with someone in the building. This includes eating meals with students, family days, guest speakers/readers, etc. Volunteers will be asked to commit to long-term assignments to prevent too many people from entering the building.

• Staff will use Wednesday to instruct distance learning and plan for future lessons. This is also a day that the school buildings will be deep cleaned.

• Students will be required to complete classwork on-time on Distance Learning days, just as if they were attending in-person classes. Teachers will communicate their expectations with students on turning in classwork and assignments.

• Distance learning for grades 3-12 will be conducted virtually via district-issued Chromebooks.

• Distance learning for grades PreK-2 will be conducted with packets that will be distributed during in-person classes and will be taken home. The district is seeking more digital devices for these grades, which will be distributed at a later date depending on availability from vendors.

• Water fountains will not be available to drink from. However, the water bottle filling stations will still be active, and students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to use throughout the day.

A positive case does not necessarily mean that schools will close as a result. We will continue cleaning and sanitation protocols and consult with healthcare professionals and determine the need for additional measures,.

Any student or staff member who tests positive for the virus should be prepared for the following:

• Mandatory self-isolation for a period of time as determined by healthcare professionals (minimum of 14 days, possibly longer).

  • Flexible attendance policy will be in place to allow for online learning to continue and staff to continue to work during isolation.

  • Consult with a doctor to ensure you are getting necessary treatment and care.

  • If you are sent home for COVID-related symptoms or are put under self isolation by the Health Department, you will be required to produce a clearance document from a licensed healthcare professional before you can return to school/work.

  • In the event of shutdown, all instruction for the affected schools will be delivered online through enhanced distance learning practices.

  • For a full description of how the GRDHD has outlined COVID procedures visit https://bit.ly/2CzklcG.

• Arrival and dismissal times will vary from previous years based on the alternative calendar that was adopted July 23, 2020 by the Owensboro Public Schools Board of Education. Please reference your school's individual plan for more details.

• • • IEP meetings can be scheduled by contacting Kim Johnson at 270-686-1000.