TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The date has been set for students to head back to the classroom in Leon County.
Other districts in our area are also looking at changes to make to their buildings in the wake of COVID-19.
August 10 is the date Leon County Schools will once again allow students inside the classroom, and it's a date many parents have been waiting to mark on their calendars.
"Eighty-five percent of our families were confident they want their children back in school today," said Rocky Hanna, superintendent of LCS.
A task force made up of twenty local leaders and community members will now work to answer questions like, will kids wear masks in class or will the cafeteria serve as a classroom?
They will also examine learning outdoors to accommodate for social distancing.
The task force working to roll out a final plan for parents July 1. Parents will still have the option to keep their children at home if it makes them feel more safe.
"So the kids will still be part of their school and their school community, their classroom will just be at home," Hanna said. "But it'll still be local teachers delivering academic instruction to our children at home, and it will look very different than it did at the end of last year. It's going to be much more structured, much more comprehensive, and it's going to be demanding for our students. But in the meantime we want to meet our kids and our families wherever they are."
Other local districts are preparing to welcome students back as well. Superintendent Ted Rouch in Suwannee County says in a statement:
"We are looking forward to students returning to class with students and staff safety is our first priority we will work through anything that arises on a case by case basis in conjunction with the county and the Florida Department of Health."
Some of the changes in Suwanee County include hand sanitizing stations and prevention signs throughout the buildings.
Governor Ron Desantis has given local districts the authority to determine best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their area.
