With just three weeks to go until the first day of school, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is planning to stick with most of the reopening guidelines released on July 8, with only some small adjustments.
On Friday, the school corporation released an updated version of its reopening plan, along with a statement from Superintendent Jim Roberts.
The school board plans to vote on the proposal this Monday, with the meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Terrace Room of the BCSC administration building, 1200 Central Ave. The meeting will also be livestreamed on BCSC’s YouTube channel.
Public comment was taken into account when revising the plan, Roberts said. The Google Form for feedback was completed by more than 400 people, and school officials have also being contacted via email, had many phone conversations and met with both “internal and external stakeholders.”
Only slight revisions were made to the plan, and masks will remain optional for students and staff as stated in the draft.
“We are aware of the increase in COVID-19 cases around the country, of which the Delta variant is the majority, will continue to monitor local spread, and are prepared to make adjustments to the plan, including the requiring of masks, if circumstances dictate,” said Roberts.
One minor change is that while the previous draft stated that masks are “highly encouraged” for those at risk or unvaccinated, the new plan changes the wording to “recommended.”
The plan still states that masks will be required on buses due to a federal mandate. However, the previous draft said that the mandate would expire on Sept. 13, at which point masking on buses would become optional. This date has been removed from the new plan.
Furthermore, while the previous draft stated that use of lockers in the hallway would be “discouraged to minimize large group gatherings,” the revised plan states that locker use will be allowed but also managed to “limit opportunities” for such gatherings.
The changes also include embedded links to the Indiana Department of Health’s guidance on quarantines, contact tracing, and recommended protocols for students and staff based on grade and vaccination status.
The updated BCSC plan also states that classroom spacing of 3 feet is recommended (as opposed to “encouraged” in the draft). Contact tracing will still be conducted for individuals within 6 feet.
As with the original draft, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will report their results to the school nurse. Contact tracing will be implemented with a 10-day quarantine. A vaccinated individual with no symptoms will not be required to quarantine.
In addition to protocol information, Roberts’ statement also included a reminder that BCSC has invested in a full-time virtual school, Columbus Virtual Pathway.
