NORFOLK, Va. — At a Wednesday night school board work session, Norfolk Public Schools leaders gave recommendations about returning students to the classroom several days per week in a blended-learning setup.
They didn't vote on the plan, but outlined some preliminary ideas for bringing students back to schools as safely as possible.
If approved as-is, the plan would bring certain at-need students back on November 5 and 6, followed by other elementary schoolers two weeks later, and then middle school students on November 30.
High school students would not return to in-person classes until January.
The schedule would have half the district's students in classrooms Mondays and Tuesdays, and the other half in classrooms on Thursdays and Fridays, with Wednesdays (and off-days) as virtual asynchronous learning days.
Wednesdays will serve as teacher planning days.
The plan recommends that all students wear masks, stay six feet apart and stay home if they're not feeling well.
The district would also mandate strict cleaning regimens and employ contact tracing, as needed.
Under the plan, cafeterias would have individual desks for students to eat, spaced six feet apart, and windows in those cafeterias would be open to increase air filtration.
On buses, students would sit one to a seat, making a zig-zag distanced pattern with each alternating student sitting closer to the window and closer to the aisle. The school division recommends keeping windows open on bus rides.