What will Muscogee schools look like amid the coronavirus? Here’s the reopening plan.
Parents and guardians in the Muscogee County School District will be able to choose whether their children return to in-person instruction at reopened schools or remain at home for remote learning, according to the superintendent’s plan presented to the school board Monday via video conference.
Employees also will have that option, according to the plan.
But students and employees who return to school will be required to wear face masks to lessen the risk of spreading the deadly coronavirus, said Superintendent David Lewis.
Parents, guardians and employees must stay with their choice for the first nine-week grading period — unless there are extenuating circumstances — so MCSD can appropriately allocate staff, Lewis said.
Parents and guardians with multiple children can decide the option that’s best for each child, he said.
MCSD’s first day of classes in the 2020-21 school year remains scheduled for Aug. 10.
Lewis emphasized the district’s plan might change if conditions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic change.
Lewis said the school district’s mask requirement comes from COVID-19 guidance issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics last week.
“We are treating this as a school supply item,” Lewis said. “. . . We are working with vendors in our community to see who can provide the masks that would be something that people could purchase.”
People also could bring their own face coverings, he said.
Accommodations will be made for social distancing as much as possible, Lewis said, but he warned no guarantees can be made.
Parents, guardians and employees will be sent a form to declare their choice, he said.
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 8:40 PM.
