STURGIS, S.D. – The Meade 46-1 School Board on Monday voted to begin the new school year for students in the classroom on September 8th.
The board approved the revised calendar and discussed a three-phased approach that would guide in-person learning, combined, and distance learning throughout the year.
According to the plan, each phase will be used depending on the number of COVID-19 cases and it’s risk to students and faculty. As each level progresses, the learning style changes and students and faculty would be encouraged and perhaps even required to wear a mask.
Superintendent Don Kirkegaard says masks currently are not required for students or staff, but says that could change depending on the current situation.
Kirkegaard says if the virus becomes worse as the semester progresses, they would usher in the next phase that could mean minimizing the number of people in district buildings to actually shutting down a building. He says a phase three, or highest level approach, may not necessarily mean shutting down the whole district, but perhaps just one or two buildings.
Also part of the back to school plan are numerous cleaning and sanitizing duties.
Kirkegaard says buses will be cleaned and sanitized after each route, and tables, desks and other heavily used equipment and furniture will be cleaned and sanitized frequently.
The district will also encourage and provide the necessities for frequent handwashing, especially for those students in the elementary grades.
Meanwhile, the Douglas School System is integrating a similar system in getting kids back in the classroom.
The board Monday night voted to resume in-person classes August 31st.
Like Meade 46-1, the district will use phases to determine how to conduct business based on the number of COVID-19 infections at the time.
Superintendent Alan Kerr said the school would use the total COVID-19 infection numbersw for Pennington County from the South Dakota Department of Health to based decisions.
If cases begin to increase at higher rates, the district will implement more severe restrictions up to and including closing down buildings and focusing more on electronic learning.
