COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The South-Western City School District announced Tuesday that it would begin full in-person learning beginning April 5.
Students and staff will need to follow COVID-19 safety protocols including wearing masks, hand sanitization, social distancing, and students remaining in their assigned seats, South-Western City Schools District Superintendent Dr. Bill Wise wrote in a letter to parents.
The district is taking the following measures as it readies buildings for students to return:
- “Green Group” students will not have school on Thursday, March 25 to allow for the transition.
- Students riding a school bus will follow their current bus schedule and must wear their masks at all times while on the bus.
- Spectator numbers will be recalculated for all athletic events and use of stadiums, auditoriums, and gymnasiums/rec centers.
- We will continue to layer our safety protocols in the classrooms and buildings, including the current visitor and volunteer procedures.
In the letter, Wise said students currently enrolled in the Virtual Learning Academy will remain in that format for the remainder of the year.
“We anticipate a variety of reactions to this announcement,” Wise wrote in the letter. “For some, this is not happening soon enough and for others, it is too soon. It is natural to have some level of anxiety or discomfort during these uncertain times. We understand and appreciate that fact. We have done our best to use the guidance, data, and research available to us to provide an optimal learning environment for our students without compromising the safety of our students and staff.”
For more on the schools’ all-in learning, click here.