RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rapid City School Board voted to implement their “Together Again – Back to School” plan after a four hour meeting Monday night.
By a vote of 6 to 1, the board voted to approve a plan that will have in-person classes for four days during the week from Monday through Thursday.
Friday will be an E-learning, or distance learning day, which will make room for deep cleaning of facilities and allow more prep for staff.
The board voted to mandate staff members and students to wear masks unless six feet of distance can be maintained.
Superintendent Dr. Lori Simon says “what we need to understand is, I think realistically we should look at this as a first semester plan. We really need to see what happens over the course of the next few months. And, then prior to second semester, once we have seen what has happened in the first semester, we can adjust.”
Simon explains the addition of an ‘Assumption of Risk’ to the plan.
“That is just to let our families know, and our staff know, that we are putting all the preventative measures in place that we are able to do; and really looking at those C.D.C. guidelines all the way down to our local guidance to reduce the spread of COVID. However, that doesn’t guarantee that individuals will not become infected.”
Like other schools around the Black Hills, Rapid City will be under three levels as students return, with level one being minimal to no spread of COVID-19. Dr. Simon says it’s possible they could be starting school under a level three, or significant spread of COVID-19.
The distance learning plan was also approved by a vote of 6-1 and the board also voted on an activities plan and voted unanimously to allow Simon to make changes to the back-to-school plan as needed.
