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Ducey lays out plans to resume school this fall

Posted 6/2/20

Gov. Doug Ducey on June 1 new plans for kids and teachers to safely resume school in the classroom this fall.

“It will look different. It will feel different,” Gov. Ducey said in a …

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Ducey lays out plans to resume school this fall

Posted

Gov. Doug Ducey on June 1 new plans for kids and teachers to safely resume school in the classroom this fall.

“It will look different. It will feel different,” Gov. Ducey said in a statement. “But the idea is that kids will have a more traditional, routine school day where possible and safe.”

This year more than 1,800 seniors graduated from Dysart’s four high schools and earned nearly $40 million in college scholarships. Seniors are planning to attend schools all over the country, including West Point Military Academy, UC-Davis, University of Southern California, Wheaton, Columbia, and Texas A & M, as well as local schools like Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona.

Forty-seven Dysart students also earned the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency in its inaugural year.

The Dysart Unified School District serves 24,000 pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in parts of Surprise, El Mirage, Glendale, Youngtown  and Maricopa County. 

The district is home to 20 K-8 schools, four comprehensive high schools, a preschool, and one alternative program.

“There are still many unknowns about the future of this virus and its impact on our state,” Superintendent of Instruction Kathy Hoffman stated. “Still, the Arizona Department of Education remains committed to providing the field with as much guidance, support, and clarity as possible.”

Here are some things to expect:

  • Students will be screened before entering the building
  • Staff must have appropriate PPE when conducting screenings
  • CDC recommends cloth facing coverings
  • Social distancing should be implemented including desks spaced out
  • Physical barriers should be installed and physical guides such as tape
  • Assigned seating on buses and in classrooms
  • Smaller class sizes
  • Limited mixing groups
  • Staggered scheduled
  • Closed communal areas
  • Serve individual plated food or home-packed meals - no communal dining halls
  • Using hand sanitizer and washing hands regularly
  • Must wear cloth face coverings
  • Signs and messages in visible areas and communicating with the school community regularly
  • No shared objects
  • If students or staff feel ill, they suggest you to stay home.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting as much as possible from classrooms to hallways to buses
  • Make sure ventilation systems are working well
  • Water systems are cleaned regularly
  • Leave and time off policies along with absence polices will be adjusted
  • A back-up staffing plan will be put into motion
  • Staff training for safety protocols regarding the virus

Additionally, field trips won’t happen so it is encouraged schools to pursue virtual group events and meetings. Small groups will be kept together.

A staff member will be assigned as a point person for anything COVID-19 related at that school.