WCPS releases Plan B details

Wayne County Public Schools released its Plan B school reopening strategy Thursday evening.

And while WCPS acknowledges that the plan is still “evolving” and is “subject to change,” Assistant Superintendent Tamara Berman-Ishee said it was important to provide “as much information and explanation as possible to assist families and staff in their preparation for the upcoming school year.”

You can access the complete plan by clicking here, but here are some highlights:

K-8:

• Students will be split into two groups and each group will attend school two days a week. Wednesday is a full remote instruction day for all students.

• Classrooms will be set up to accommodate “approximately 10-15 students while maintaining 6-ft distance.”

• Masks must be worn at all times except for students with “documented mask exemptions.”

• Hand sanitizer will be “readily available” and “used frequently throughout the school day.”

• Schools will run on early dismissal schedules. For K-8, the school day will be shortened by 90 minutes.

• Attendance will be taken in both the face-to-face and remote settings. Students who do not sign in for “electronic attendance” on their assigned remote days will be marked absent.

• Recess will be scheduled for small groups daily, but extended distancing will be enforced to allow students to “temporarily remove masks.” Use of playground equipment and other shared equipment — including balls, jump ropes, toys, etc. — will not be permitted.

• Students will have access to “some” enhancement classes like art, music, drama, band and PE, but those offerings “may be more limited under Plan B.”

• All students will have access to breakfast and lunch. Meals will be delivered to classrooms “whenever possible.”

• To ride the bus, students will be required, every day, to bring a “parent-completed attestation form verifying that their student(s) has not been exposed to Covid-19, has not been diagnosed with Covid-19 or directed to quarantine, and has not exhibited symptoms of Covid-19.” Students must display the document to the bus driver each morning.

• Students must be wearing a mask before they board the bus and must keep it on for the duration of the ride.

• Prior to entering the school building, students will be required to answer health screening questions and have their temperature checked.

9-12:

• Students will be split into three groups and each group will attend school on a three-week cycle, receiving four full days of face-to-face instruction, with two weeks of remote instruction. Wednesday is a full remote day for all students.

• During the first week of school, each high school group will attend face-to-face instruction for one day of orientation and have four days of remote instruction to allow for distribution of technology and materials, training, etc.

• Schools will run on early dismissal schedules. For 9-12, the school day will be shortened by 75 minutes.