Palm Beach County Schools Sets Safety Protocols For When Students Return

When Palm Beach County school campuses reopen, students will be required to wear face masks, unless they are involved in certain activities such as gym class, chorus or eating.

The School Board Wednesday night approved a series of safety protocols that students will have to follow when in-person instruction resumes, but that won't happen until a week after the county begins Phase 2 of reopening.

Schools will make accommodations, including the use of plastic shields, for kids who can't wear a face mask for medical reasons. They'll need a doctor's note.

Students who do not comply will face disciplinary action.

There will also be staggered arrival and dismissal times, and change to after school care and school bus riding, though the details were not made clear before the meeting.

The district will also adopt new protocols for students and employees who test positive for COVID-19.

If a student tests positive, the child will be enrolled in distance learning right away.

Parents are asked to report positive tests to the school and provide a list of people who were possibly exposed for contact tracing. They say the student's name will be kept private.

Students who exhibit symptoms at school will be kept in a special isolation area until they are picked up.

If a teacher comes down with COVID-19, the school will undergo advanced cleaning and anyone potentially exposed will self-isolate for 14 days. People potentially exposed will have to provide a negative test no more than 12 days after exposure.

An employee who tests positive will be subject to weekly check-ins and contact tracing.

Students can also expect to see directional markings on the floors, new hand sanitizing stations, and other new signage when they return to campus.

During Wednesday's meeting, the School Board also addressed the issue of providing laptops to students, to help improve distance-learning. They're reminding parents that the laptops will be distributed on a first come-first serve basis, but the laptops are currently on back order.

The district has set up a helpline with regards to the laptops. Call 561-969-5840 with any questions.

Photo: CBS 12


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