Van Buren

Learning: In-person

Masks: Optional

Van Buren County Community School District's first day is Aug. 24, and the district is encouraging parents to screen their children for illness each morning before they come to school. No children with symptoms should be sent on a bus or brought to school.

Masks will be optional in the school buildings but will be required of students when they ride the bus. Kitchen staff must wear masks when serving food, and masks are required for bus drivers.

The district will not provide students with masks, and students will be responsible for their own masks since others are not supposed to touch them. Staff will have face shields with them at all times in the event they are required such as when riding in a school vehicle, if the wearer becomes symptomatic, or if they cannot maintain a distance of 6 feet from other people.

Any student or staff member who shows symptoms of COVID-19 or has a fever over 100 degrees will be isolated and monitored by the school nurse.

Drinking fountains will not be available, but the bottle filling stations will be. Small cups will be provided for those who don't bring their own bottle.

Students will be given assigned seats on buses, in classrooms and in the cafeteria. Classrooms will be reconfigured for greatest social distancing possible, such as creating staggered rows of desks all facing the same direction with limitations on face-to-face seating.

High-touch surfaces will be disinfected regularly, including water fountains, door handles, light switches, playground equipment and desks. Hand sanitizer and cleaning stations will be provided at the entry of each school building.

All people who enter a district building will be required to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. Classrooms and common areas will be ventilated with additional circulation of outdoor air when possible, using windows, doors and fans.

– Andy Hallman