Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

All students will be provided with the option to remain on distance learning for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.  The distance learning schedule will be modified to accommodate students returning to in-class instruction.

All students are a priority for in-person instruction.  Schedules will be developed that ensure all students are offered the same options for instruction.  For Child Development, class priority must be based on students transitioning to TK/K and special needs students.

As needed, additional custodial support will be provided.

At this time, only grades Pre-K through 6th grade is allowed to return to in-person learning to include all Special Education classes.

Custodial staff will be responsible for sanitizing the school facilities.  Each classroom will also be provided with sanitizing spray and paper towels for staff to use if desired. For Child Development, all education staff will be responsible for sanitizing and disinfecting materials used as required by the program.

For elementary schools, all efforts will be made to place families in the same groups of attendance.  Principals have been working on placing students into two groups with siblings being taken into consideration.

If a student is opting to continue in the Distance Learning model, they will need to continue to receive special education services on-line.

Middle school and high school schedules are being developed to comply with Department of Public Health requirements.  These requirements include students not being mixed with more than two groups.

Parents and visitors will not be allowed to visit classrooms or be on campus at this time.  However, school sites will provide videos of the classrooms.

Restrooms will be scheduled to be sanitized in high touch areas frequently as required.

Site staff will be teaching and modeling the expectation of maintaining 6 feet of distance between everyone.  Lessons will be provided to all students on the expected safety protocols to include social distancing, proper handwashing, use of masks, and any other required protocol.

Students will not be able to use any playground equipment at this time.

Teachers will have the option to take their students outside for recreational purposes while following all required protocols.

Temperature checks will occur before students enter classrooms by staff at designated locations.

The appropriate response will be taken once the district is aware of any exposure.  All students and staff will be required to follow all the protocols outlined in the COVID-19 Safety Plan.

The COVID-19 Safety Plan outlines requirements when students are transported on school buses.  Transportation will initially be provided to special education students as routes begin, a review of remaining available seats will determine if additional students can be offered transportation.

The district has no control over whether parents are vaccinated. Due to limited availability of the vaccine, at this time there is no mandate requiring staff to be vaccinated.

The district is finalizing the COVID-19 Safety Plan that includes the COVID-19 Prevention Plan to the Department of Public Health no later than the end of this week. (March 1-5th)

The district is finalizing the replacement of most of the drinking fountains.  Those that will not be touchless have already been turned off.

The district plans to return students to in-class instruction by the end of March 2021, if not sooner.  The district is currently in negotiations with the teacher’s union to finalize a schedule for in-class and distance learning schedules.  The schedules will include start and end times for each grade and how many days per week.

The district will continue to provide students and the community with 7 days of meals per child under the Summer Feed Program.  Students returning to school will be provided a breakfast each morning.  If the schedule requires students to stay longer than half a day, a lunch will be provided through a staggered lunch schedule so that classes are not all eating lunch at the same time.

The number of students in each classroom based on returning students to in-school instruction will be dependent on the size of the classroom and keeping each student six feet apart and no less than 4 feet with a desk shield.

The school district will be offering a variety of summer programs to make up for the learning loss of its students to include summer school.

The slides and presentation have been made available online.  Please visit the district website at the link below. https://www.bassettusd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1184756&type=d&pREC_ID=2153116

There are several factors that will determine if a class requires quarantine.  The district has outlined the procedures in its COVID-19 School Exposure Management Plan.  Please refer to the link for more details: https://www.bassettusd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1184756&type=d&pREC_ID=2153116

There will be no out of pocket expenses for anyone being given a COVID-19 test as part of the random sampling of staff and students on campuses.

Uniforms will not be required for the remainder of this school year.  However, appropriate dress will be required.

Yes, all schools have been provided desk shields for TK-12 grade classrooms.