Eau Claire school district releases fall plan for in-person classes

Jul. 19—In a move toward normal operations, the Eau Claire school district announced Monday it plans to bring students in all grade levels back to full-time, face-to-face classes this fall.

Masks will be optional for students and staff inside school buildings. The district may change its mask policy if a new local, state or federal mandate requires masks inside school buildings, "or if there are significant increases in positivity rates in the community or at specific schools or grade levels," it said in the announcement.

The district's plans largely line up with recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This month the CDC said vaccinated students and teachers don't have to wear masks inside school buildings, although it recommended unvaccinated people age two and older wear masks.

The CDC wrote July 9: "Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority."

The agency also recommended schools maintain at least three feet of physical distance between students within classrooms.

The Eau Claire school district did not say in the announcement if students will be physically distanced inside classroom buildings.

The school district outlined plans for different grade levels:

* Pre-kindergarten students will attend school four days per week during regular school hours, with 3 1/2 -hour sessions in the morning or afternoon, Monday through Thursday.

* Elementary (kindergarten through 5th grade) and secondary (6th through 12th grade) students will attend classes five days per week during regular school hours.

* If they wish, students in kindergarten through 12th grade can choose to attend the Eau Claire Virtual School, a fully-virtual charter school program that launched in 2019 and partners with the school district. The deadline to sign up for ECVS is July 27. Enrollment information can be found at the school's website, www.ecasd.us/ecvs.

* After-school activities and athletics will return to their regular schedules and seasons, the district said, noting that the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is planned to share specific guidance for schools in upcoming days.

In accordance with the CDC's requirement of face masks on all public transportation, students and others must wear masks when they're boarding a school bus or school district transportation, the district said.

If they are asymptomatic, vaccinated students and staff won't need to quarantine if they've been exposed to someone with COVID-19 at school or during activities or athletics.

Students will not be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend school, the district said.

Of the three COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S., the Pfizer shot is approved for children as young as 12.

The state and local health departments will assist the district with contact tracing, and the school district will follow their guidance when deciding quarantine lengths.

The school district will keep offering hand sanitizer in buildings. Custodians will clean all buildings after each school day and conduct "specialized cleanings" if there are illness outbreaks in a school, the district said.

As the fall approaches, the district said it plans to share more information about teacher assignments and class schedules, classroom setups and physical distancing, field trips, visitor guidelines, lunches and special education services.

"We are so glad to welcome students back to our schools five days per week for this new school year," said Eau Claire schools superintendent Michael Johnson in a statement. "As we continue our planning for the upcoming school year, we are closely monitoring the local trends and taking the steps necessary to protect and promote the academic, physical, social and emotional well-being of our students, staff and families. We are grateful for the support of our entire community as we make this happen."

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