COLUMBIA — When capital region schools reopen next month, the familiar sights of recess, cafeteria lunches and crowded hallways will also return as districts shake off the disruption of a pandemic.
But return plans being made public reveal that some health protocols installed to curb the spread of COVID-19 aren’t going anywhere.
Here’s a look at what Midlands-area districts have planned for the 2021-22 year as they get ready for face-to-face instruction five days a week.
Richland One
The 24,000-student district is implementing a mask policy that’s bit stricter than some of its peers.
All pupils must wear face coverings on school property unless they have a signed state opt-out waiver.
Richland One is keeping its pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students in small groups known as cohorts to minimize contact. Students in grades six through eight, who traditionally have moved from one classroom to another at the end of a period, are staying put. Teachers are rotating instead.
Meanwhile, high school classrooms are set to move into larger spaces if the number of students exceeds capacity to allow for social distancing.
Last year, the district inked a partnership with Prisma Health to provide rapid COVID-19 testing for students and staff. Officials plan to continue that in 2021-22 while adding routine screenings if a person appears to have symptoms. A recent survey found 70 percent of staff members in the district wanted to be vaccinated, and a pair of summer clinics have been set up to accommodate those yet to have been inoculated.
A yearlong virtual learning platform remains in place, and students enrolled in it will be eligible for meal services.
Richland Two
District officials are slated to review their plan later this month pending new federal health guidelines, but provided The Post and Courier with a draft version.
Masks will be optional except on school buses – including for athletes at practices. Fiberglass partitions are expected to remain in place where social distancing inside classrooms is difficult to achieve.
Every classroom across the 40 school, 27,000-student district will have hand sanitizer stations, while additional cleaning supplies have been purchased for each building.
Also, watch for a continuation of iTutor, an online digital learning institute that offered 6,000 hours’ worth of sessions last year focused on math, English language/arts and writing support. The program will continue into 2021-22, along with a one-year extension of its virtual programming for elementary school students.
District leaders said more than 1,600 employees were vaccinated through its clinics, and a drive-through testing site for employees is set to stay open through September.
Lexington-Richland 5
This 17,500-student district that includes the towns of Chapin and Irmo is “strongly encouraging” face coverings be worn by all staff and students, but has lifted a requirement to do so. Contact tracing will continue, along with information campaigns notifying people of testing and vaccination sites.
Improving ventilation systems remains a priority in 2021-22, and facilities will be optimized to promote social distancing during the day.
Lexington One
South Carolina’s sixth largest school system, with more than 27,000 students, is also relaxing its student masking policies, requiring them only on buses and inside health rooms. The district is also hiring additional nurses who can be deployed to any school and adding more nursing assistants.
Superintendent Greg Little said educators want to avoid large scale shifts in instructional models, and will only do so based on disease spread as monitored over a three-week period.
As long as rates stay low, schools will resemble pre-pandemic days with lunches served in cafeterias, regular recess schedules and normal times for dismissal.
Continued investments are planned for hotspots and other technological devices for students that will remain virtual. And like other districts, Lexington One is looking to upgrade its ventilation and air circulation systems.
Lexington Two
Misting machines, videoconferencing, virtual events and new signage promoting social distancing will all be part of the landscape in this 8,500-student district.
Face coverings are optional but recommended, and each school will have a supply for faculty, students and visitors.
To promote “respiratory etiquette,” aggressive cleaning of high-touch areas such as doorknobs, playground equipment, sink handles and cafeteria tables will occur daily.
Officials are continuing its partnership with Lexington Medical Center to provide vaccinations and will roll out sites to accommodate students between the ages of six months and 11 years old once federal guidelines are established.
There are some new additions here as well that administrators believe will help in developing social and emotional health in students. More social workers have been hired, and Lexington Two has teamed up with the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning to develop support programs.
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