When Lexington students finally return to schools, everything will change. Here’s how.

From the bus stop to dismissal, Fayette school officials have plans for keeping the district’s more than 40,000 kids safe in the COVID-19 pandemic -- including no field trips and pep rallies — when students return to in-person learning.

“When we do return to the classroom, school will look different, but different does not mean bad,” board chairwoman Stephanie Spires said this week.

At-home learning will start Aug. 26 and last at least six weeks because COVID-19 cases have been surging, but the district has been getting ready for an eventual in-person reopening as well. Fayette Superintendent Manny Caulk said at the July school board meeting that he hopes coronavirus cases will drop to the point that students can return to some sort of in-person model around the end of September. A combination of at-home and in-person learning is also under consideration.

Safely reopening schools in the midst of a pandemic will require masks, contact tracing, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection protocols and checking temperatures and screening staff and students for symptoms.

“We have devised a plan that provides options for families and flexibility for school and district leaders to respond quickly as the status of COVID-19 changes with each test taken, diagnosis made, or scientific breakthrough announced,” said Caulk.

Families who send their child to school will be asked to attest that their child does not have a fever and has not exhibited any of the symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 48 hours.

Staff and students will complete a health questionnaire, with daily wellness checks. All those entering a Fayette County Public Schools building will have their temperature taken.

Members of a district committee visited Toyota to research cleaning practices as well as procedures for scanning employees to learn how to quickly and efficiently scan Fayette students daily for fevers, Spires said. Killian Timoney, a district staff member who has been working on operations and safety, said the school district could get special equipment to check temperatures.

All families who can transport their children to school are strongly encouraged to do that to help reduce the number of students on each bus.

Students will be social distanced at the bus stop.

Brad Daniel, who works in the district’s transportation department, said that bus monitors in some cases will screen student temperatures as they board.

Students with a fever will sit in a designated section and receive medical attention at school. If there is not a bus monitor, then students will have their temperature taken by school staff.

All students in grades 1 through 12, with the exception of those who have a medical exemption, must wear a mask on the bus. Those who cannot wear a mask will have a designated seating section. All employees will wear masks.

Hand sanitizer will be provided on the bus as students enter and exit. Students will sit as far apart as possible on the bus.

In the morning, buses will be loaded from the back to the front, and unloaded from the front to the back. Students will have assigned seats in the afternoon.

Buses will be sanitized between routes and at the end of the day, Daniel said in a presentation to the school board.

Timoney told school board members entry points to buildings will be restricted and access to schools will be limited to students and staff as much as possible. Visitors likely won’t be able to have lunch with students.

Spires said there will be new policies regarding volunteers and individuals in Fayette County school buildings.

“Let me be clear that parent involvement is critical as we navigate the challenges of Covid-19, but parents may not be able to be physically in the school buildings as they have been in the past,” she said.

Timoney said layouts and arrival and dismissal processes will be modified to maintain physical distancing. Floors will be marked to indicate safe distancing.

Whenever possible, classes will be held outside. Timoney said outdoor classrooms will be developed at all schools.

Recess will be held in a designated space to ensure social distancing.

No field trips will be allowed, perhaps for the entire school year, although Timoney said the moratorium could be lifted after one semester.

Students will be in classrooms with desks spaced further away, all facing in the same direction.

Schools will have a designated area for isolation and supervision of sick students until the child is picked up.

Traffic in the hallways will be reduced and bathroom schedules will promote social distancing.

Students will remain six feet apart in line, in the hallways, in common areas and as much as possible in classrooms

All students in grades 1 through 12, with the exception of those who have a medical exemption, must wear a mask when they move about the building or are seated less than 6 feet apart. All employees will wear masks. Masks will be provided for any students or staff who do not have one.

Timoney said the district currently has 15,000 disposable masks, 98,000 washable cloth masks, 11,000 nitrile gloves, 1,000 thermometers and 100,000 water bottles. The supply lines are steady, including hand sanitizers.

“We have enough masks and PPE (personal protection equipment) for all of our students and staff. I know that some families do not want their children wearing a mask or have concerns that their child will not wear a mask,” said Spires. “I have four children between the ages of 6 and 10, three with sensory issues, and they have had to wear their masks at the YMCA camp this summer, from 8 AM to 6PM, and they have done it, because they understand that wearing the mask protects them and their friends and wearing the mask is their ticket out of the house. I encourage parents to work with their children and practice mask wearing.”

The district will provide additional hand sanitizing stations, and require using water bottles rather than water fountains.

“Community drinking fountains is a bad idea,” said Timoney.

All students will have access to individual school supplies because they can’t share.

School schedules will be adjusted to reduce hallway traffic. Measures could include staggered bell times or teachers moving from classroom to classroom rather than students switching classes.

Schools cannot hold assemblies, pep rallies or other indoor gatherings.

Michelle Coker, the district child nutrition director, said at the July school board meeting that students will not be able to share food and surfaces will be disinfected regularly. Time will be made for frequent hand washing throughout the day, as well as before and after meals.

She said breakfast will be available for students to pick up and take to the classroom when they arrive at school. Depending upon the school, students might be eating in cafeterias, kiosks in the hallway, gyms, or classrooms.

Students will have pre-packaged lunches, disposal containers and plastic ware, social distancing, and assigned seats for meals. Students will remain six feet apart while receiving and eating food, Coker said.

Self-service food stations and condiment stations will be removed and Coker said there would be plexiglass barriers in food service areas.

School dismissal procedures will be restructured to reduce the flow of students leaving at the same time.

At the end of the day students will get on the bus, use hand sanitizer, sit in assigned seats, and head home.

Teachers and staff are receiving additional training, including, but not limited to trauma training and technology training to improve the overall experience for students, Spires said.

District officials are also working on a safety plan for substitute teachers, but didn’t release specifics at the most recent school board meeting.

Students will be kept in small groups just as student athletes have been as they return to campuses this summer for workouts and conditioning.

Chris Young, a district staff member who has been working on safety at extra-curricular activities, said at the July school board meeting that student athletes and band members are having their temperature taken as they return to campuses for workouts or practice, custodians are taking extra cleaning measures, and coaches and other staff are being trained on safety measures such as wearing masks.

This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 11:44 AM.