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Gov. Doug Ducey on June 1 new plans for kids and teachers to safely resume school in the classroom this fall.
“It will look different. It will feel different,” Gov. Ducey said in a statement. “But the idea is that kids will have a more traditional, routine school day where possible and safe.”
This year more than 1,800 seniors graduated from Dysart’s four high schools and earned nearly $40 million in college scholarships. Seniors are planning to attend schools all over the country, including West Point Military Academy, UC-Davis, University of Southern California, Wheaton, Columbia, and Texas A & M, as well as local schools like Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona.
Forty-seven Dysart students also earned the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency in its inaugural year.
The Dysart Unified School District serves 24,000 pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in parts of Surprise, El Mirage, Glendale, Youngtown and Maricopa County.
The district is home to 20 K-8 schools, four comprehensive high schools, a preschool, and one alternative program.
“There are still many unknowns about the future of this virus and its impact on our state,” Superintendent of Instruction Kathy Hoffman stated. “Still, the Arizona Department of Education remains committed to providing the field with as much guidance, support, and clarity as possible.”
Here are some things to expect:
Students will be screened before entering the building
Staff must have appropriate PPE when conducting screenings
CDC recommends cloth facing coverings
Social distancing should be implemented including desks spaced out
Physical barriers should be installed and physical guides such as tape
Assigned seating on buses and in classrooms
Smaller class sizes
Limited mixing groups
Staggered scheduled
Closed communal areas
Serve individual plated food or home-packed meals - no communal dining halls
Using hand sanitizer and washing hands regularly
Must wear cloth face coverings
Signs and messages in visible areas and communicating with the school community regularly
No shared objects
If students or staff feel ill, they suggest you to stay home.
Cleaning and disinfecting as much as possible from classrooms to hallways to buses
Make sure ventilation systems are working well
Water systems are cleaned regularly
Leave and time off policies along with absence polices will be adjusted
A back-up staffing plan will be put into motion
Staff training for safety protocols regarding the virus
Additionally, field trips won’t happen so it is encouraged schools to pursue virtual group events and meetings. Small groups will be kept together.
A staff member will be assigned as a point person for anything COVID-19 related at that school.
Steve Stockmar has been with the Independent Newsmedia team since 2017. An NAU alum and Peoria resident, Steve’s community journalism pursuits focus mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference. In his spare time Steve plays in a vintage baseball league using uniforms and rules from the 1860s, and also acts (badly) in community theater. In addition, he has an unhealthy obsession with baseball and the Chicago Cubs.