Siloam Springs School District releases guidelines for fall opening

SILOAM SPRINGS — The School District will follow the guidance of the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Arkansas Department of Health, along with monitoring updates from the governor’s office and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in regards to the 2020-2021 school year, Superintendent Jody Wiggins announced in a news release last week.

The state has released preliminary guidance for the return to on-site instruction this fall and posted as the “Planning for Re-Engagement” on state’s Arkansas Ready For Learning website.

The School District will follow state guidelines for “Blended Learning” when school is scheduled to resume Aug. 13, according to the news release.

Blended learning is described as traditional school with the added element of a digital format that could be used to provide remote or online learning on very short notice if the need arises.

The School District will be expected to have the ability to pivot from on-site instruction to remote instruction quickly and easily. “This will require our teachers to have their classes and curriculum established in a digital format for seamless transition,” Wiggins said.

Siloam Springs also will offer a completely online learning option through Siloam Springs Virtual Academy, which is a complete online setting where students will work through state-approved curriculum provided by a third party.

“We believe this option would be appropriate for a small number of highly-motivated and strongly supported students,” Wiggins said. “For this reason, [the School District] has set a cap of 150 slots for this program.”

The release states the district will be implementing the following procedures, which are subject to change:

• Face coverings are strongly recommended for everyone older than 10.

“Face coverings provide an extra layer of protection and are especially recommended when social distancing is not possible,” Wiggins said. “Please understand that it is not possible to meet social distancing recommendations in many educational settings and situations including, but not limited to, bus transportation, classroom interaction, student passing periods, drop off, and pick-up. [The School District] strongly recommends students and staff wear face coverings when social distancing is not possible.”

Wiggins added the district is in the process of buying limited number of cloth face coverings to give to students and staff at the beginning of the school year for them to keep and use as needed. Parents will be expected to supply any additional face coverings needed.

• Social Distancing will be observed and encouraged as much as possible.

• Health Screening Protocols will be in place. Parents will be expected to screen their children using the current screening guidelines from the Arkansas Department of Health before entering any school bus or building.

• The district will have several cleaning protocols in place. The district will follow its standard daily, weekly and monthly cleaning specifications and will take additional measures including classrooms being equipped with disinfectant, cleaning gloves and cloth; frequent wipe downs of high touch areas and daily antiviral misting of all rooms.

• It’s strongly recommended students and staff wear masks on school buses, the release states. Students will sit by household and have assigned seats. Buses will be disinfected after every trip.

• Every school building will be equipped with one or more water bottle filling station for students. All students are encouraged to carry a clear, labeled, personal water bottle to school.

• All persons will be prohibited from entering the school except school or district staff, students enrolled at the school, parents picking up sick or injured children and professionals providing necessary services to children or staff.

• Each school building will have guidelines regarding physical distancing, hall traffic, bathroom breaks and pick-up/drop-off depending on the building’s configuration and student population, the release states.