Holding out for the possibility of any large upswing in COVID-19 cases, Omaha Westside Community Schools plans to bring “all willing students” back to the classroom most days starting next Thursday.
In a letter to families, District 66 plans to have all students continue “at-home/extended campus” days on Wednesdays through October 14th, the end of the first quarter, to allow for extra cleaning and disinfecting time as well as to give teachers adequate time as they continue to prepare both in-person and remote-learning lesson plans.
The letter points out there will still be a mask mandate for students, faculty, and staff, who must follow cleanliness, sanitizing, and social distancing guidelines.
The district has also improved filtering systems, added barriers, and redirected walking patterns in schools in addition to limiting visitors.
Since classes began August 18th, five Westside district staff members and five students, including two sets of siblings, tested positive for COVID-19, the release states.
Contact tracing confirmed the cases were from exposure outside of school buildings and extracurriculars.