GREEN BAY, Wis (NBC 26) -- The Green Bay Area Public School District is getting closer to a decision on their course of action for the 2020-2021 school year.
GBAPS Director of Communications, Lori Blakeslee says the district is putting together a plan while gathering public opinion on how to proceed with a safe reentry plan.
Blakslee says on Tuesday, July 21st, all GBAPS students from 6th-12th grade will receive an email survey to gather thoughts and feedback on returning to school or if they prefer to go virtual.
If parents don’t feel comfortable sending their children back to school, they will be creating off-site plans that will be available for students. The plans are scheduled to be released on July 31st.
The district is weighing health and safety considerations like masks, physical distancing in classrooms and common spaces as well as symptom screenings.
The district is also creating new cleaning protocols for classrooms, restrooms and common spaces, attendance protocols and staffing for all instructional models (i.e., in-person classes, virtual or hybrid.) They're also discussing the procurement of personal protection equipment (PPE).
Blakeslee says the district will use the new survey data to develop a secondary GBAPS plan draft on July 31st. The draft will be presented to the Board of Education meeting on August, 3rd.
The GBAPS Board of Education meeting will determine the school district's course of action for the 2020-2021 school year.
The first day of school is scheduled for September 1st.
GBAPS also laid out possible guidelines for transportation and food service for the 2020-2021 school year:
TRANSPORATION:
· Roughly 8,000 students in the district ride the bus to school.
· If the district votes to have in-person classes, bus carriers recommend 50 % rider capacity.
· Drivers will be required to wear a mask. Students will be recommended to wear a mask. Parents/guardians will be asked to fill out an opt-out form if they will not need busing.
· Buses will be cleaned after each trip and hand sanitizing stations for bus riders will be available for use when entering and exiting the bus.
FOOD SERVICE:
· Breakfast and lunch will be served in the classrooms for grades 4k-2.
· Grades 3-6 will have meals served in hallways and students will eat in classrooms.
· Middle and high school students will pick up meals in the cafeteria and eat in classrooms.
· Parent pick up meal locations for students who are at home. Home delivery of meals for students at home.
Meals will be served in accordance with CDC guidelines for physical distancing, hand washing, and masks.
