Darlington, Unity Christian schools plan to return to in-person classes
♦ Both private schools have scheduled mid-August openings.
As public schools debate whether to reopen or continue online learning, local private schools have begun putting together reopening plans for the fall.
As of Friday, Darlington School plans to reopen on Aug. 17 and has special plans in place to allow boarding students to live on campus as well.
Tannika King, director of communications, said Darlington administrators formed an “Our Health of the Community Committee” to set guidelines and determine if it would be OK to reopen. The committee has gone over airflow in buildings, food service, when and where masks will be needed and a rotating schedule for students to ensure risks are minimized.
Like many public universities, Darlington will require all students and faculty to wear cloth face coverings. Cleaning staff will be spending extra time each day sanitizing surfaces that are deemed “high contact” and “high touch,” King said. Day students will most likely be asked to leave earlier in the evening to allow staff the time to do this.
Athletics will follow the guidelines set by their governing bodies, such as the Georgia High School Association, U.S. Soccer, Professional Golfers’ Association Section of Georgia and United States Tennis Association.
King said teachers have also been preparing for hybrid classes to accommodate students who are at high risk and can’t attend in-person classes. They have also started updating their online learning management system for these students as well.
“We have put into place a new set of course standards and lesson templates to help create a consistent and productive learning environment for students, whether they are in the classroom or not,” King said.
For boarding students, there’s a new set of policies to help prevent the potential spread of the coronavirus. If there is an outbreak, a residence hall has been set up as an isolation/quarantine zone.
Unity Christian School is moving forward with plans to reopen Aug. 10, according to special events coordinator Jeannie King.
A set of guidelines will be sent out to parents and published on the school’s website next week.