Philadelphia School District Unveils Reopening Plan For Schools

PHILADELPHIA—Learning will look a little different when students return to school in the fall, according to the School District of Philadelphia. On Wednesday morning, the school district announced its reopening plan for the upcoming school year.

In the fall, all students are expected to participate in learning five days per week. Schools will offer a mix of face-to-face and digital learning to help meet the varied needs of students, families and staff.

"We will have enhanced cleaning protocols for our schools and buses, and extensive safety measures will be in place to promote healthy learning and work environments for everyone while in our school buildings," said Superintendent William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D.

According to the school district, it is currently looking to change the date for the first day of school for students to Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. If approved by the board in late July, district officials said this would allow for an additional week of professional development for educators as they prepare for face-to-face and digital learning in this new environment.

Below, Patch has included the school district's plan for keeping students and faculty safe for the 2020-2021 school year:

HYBRID SCHEDULE

According to the school district, K-12 students will be assigned to two days of face-to-face learning on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday.

Students will receive face to face instruction during face-to-face learning and participate in digital learning on days when they are not physically in school. Friday will be digital learning for Pre-K - 12 students.

Families with students attending Monday/Wednesday face-to-face and Tuesday/Thursday face-to-face will need to identify childcare opportunities three days a week on digital learning days

Families and students will also have the opportunity to opt in to a Digital Academy that will be a fully virtual instructional model.

"We are planning for the registration process to begin at the end of this month. Students registering for the Digital Academy must remain in that model throughout the first quarter and will only be able to transition out of the Academy at the start of a new quarter," school district officials said.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

• All individuals must maintain at least six feet of social distance to the extent possible, following visual cues from signage, floor decals and colored tape indicating social distancing parameters and traffic flow through building entrances, exits and other common use areas. Mitigation efforts will be put in place when six feet is not feasible.
• Clear physical barriers will be installed in reception areas, school front offices and work spaces where face-to-face interaction with the public occurs.
• Layouts for desks, tables, chairs, and other items will be implemented to promote social distancing in classrooms and commons areas to maintain six feet of social distancing.
• No more than four people may occupy an elevator at a time, with each person standing in each corner of the elevator.
• In-person meetings are discouraged and should continue to take place in a virtual setting whenever possible.
• Employee break rooms and lunchrooms will be closed for gathering.• The number of people permitted in a restroom will be determined by the size of space and layout of toilet partitions to ensure at least six feet of distance between individuals.
• Maximum occupancy for office spaces will be five people per 1,000 square feet
• When feasible, the maximum number of individuals, including students, teachers and staff, allowed in the same classroom is 25.
• Schools should prioritize plexiglass barriers for classrooms that have the most students or for classrooms without sufficient space for desks to be 6 feet apart.
• Schools will consider using alternative spaces like gymnasiums, auditoriums, and cafeterias to accommodate classes with larger numbers of students when class sizes cannot be reduced.
• Teachers’ desks should be at least six feet from the nearest student desk, and all student desks should face forward.

FACE MASKS

• The district will provide one complimentary cloth mask to each staff member, or staff may choose to wear their own mask. An additional allotment of masks will only be provided to specific employee groups based on their job duties and risk of exposure.
• Students and teachers in grades Pre-K - 5 will receive face shields and masks to better facilitate interactions between teachers and younger students who rely on visual and facial cues. The District will supply students with a maximum of two face shields and five masks per week as needed. Pre-K -5 students will wear either face shields or masks when riding on District-provided transportation.
• Students and teachers in grade 6 - 12 will be required to wear masks. The District will supply daily for students. Students may also choose to wear their own masks. Teachers 6-12 will not receive daily masks.
• Acceptable masks include disposable surgical masks, cloth masks purchased or made from household items, and gaiters. Clothing and household items (like scarfs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, or towels) are not acceptable in original form for use as masks on District grounds.
• Exceptions to mask requirements will be made if wearing a mask is not possible due to medical conditions, disability impact, or other health or safety factors. Face shields will be a viable alternative to masks for those with medical, behavioral or other conditions precluding them from wearing masks.Completion of the Mask Exemption Form by a licensed medical provider will be required stating that the person is exempt from wearing any form of face covering.
• Wearing face masks or shields is required for everyone on school buses.
• Students will be instructed when they may take “mask breaks” and remove their masks, such as during mealtimes, and when outdoors and more than six feet apart from other people. Mask breaks will be 15 minutes maximum.

TRANSPORTATION

Students who are provided transportation through the District’s Department of Transportation Services will be following specific rules as follows:

• Families conduct a daily screening of their children at home, before their children leave for school
• Masks are required to be worn while riding a school bus, van or sedan/cab
• Hand sanitizer will be applied to children's hands before boarding the vehicle
• There will be assigned seats, and social distancing will be implemented
• Revised procedures for loading and unloading will be implemented
• Enhanced cleaning protocols will be followed

FOOD SERVICE AND CAFETERIA

The school district said it is making adjustments to how and where meals will be served throughout the school year across all learning models.

Breakfast: All students will be offered a grab-and-go breakfast as they enter the school building and enjoy breakfast in their classroom.
Lunch: Students will either 1) maintain six feet of social distancing while traveling through serving lines and sit at assigned seats in the cafeteria and/or return to the classroom to enjoy their meal or 2) come to a designated food station in the hallway and return to the classroom to enjoy their meal.

• Students will be required to clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer prior to and immediately after eating.
• Cafeteria use will be staggered during lunch. Signage and floor decals will be placed near the entrance of and inside the cafeteria to promotesocial distancing.
• If eating in a cafeteria, students will have assigned seats distanced 6 feet apart, eat with a cohort of students and not share food. During the hybrid schedule, students will receive breakfast and lunch meals for the days they will be learning from home. Students will be able to pick up these meals as they are leaving the school building at the end of each day when they are attending school in person.

If enrolled in the Digital Academy, students will receive a box of five (5) breakfast and five (5) frozen lunch meals, to be picked up at a location closest to their homes.

Water: Students should bring their own water bottles that are clearly labeled with their name. Touchless hydration stations will be used for replenishing water.

To view the school district's "Advancing Education Safely" in its entirety, click here.