HAMPTON, Va. - More local school districts are planning the return to the classroom amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a school board meeting Wednesday night, leaders with Hampton City Schools revealed their plan for bringing students back for in-person learning.
Below are some of the changes as students return to school:
- Face masks and face shields will be provided to both staff members and students; masks are required upon entering school buildings.
- Desk set-up in the classroom must maintain at least a three-foot distance.
- All students and staff must perform a health assessment before returning to school every day.
- Stricter guidelines for visitors will be in place.
- New disinfecting protocols will also be implemented.
- School nurses have undergone training for contact tracing.
The school district has a health services database that officials are using to track students and staff who display symptoms of COVID-19, as well as anyone who may have come into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
In early August, school board members voted to begin the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year virtually, following in the footsteps of other school districts across Hampton Roads.
Tuesday night, members of the Newport News School Board voted in favor of the district's "Return 2 Learn" hybrid plan, which will include a phase-in approach, bringing students back by program and grade level.
Earlier Tuesday, school buses picked up 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in Virginia Beach who headed back to school for face-to-face instruction.
