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STEUBENVILLE -- Steubenville City Schools officials on Friday released plans for the new school year spurred by the pandemic, including an option for parents to keep their children home to participate in remote learning.
Through e-mail and social media, parents have been advised they have until Aug. 7 to contact the principal of their child's school if they want them to engage in remote learning.
In the event they do, their children must participate in remote learning for the remainder of the semester.
In a letter to parents, Superintendent Melinda Young said she and staff are preparing for a traditional school year, a combination of remote and in-person instruction or adopting remote instruction entirely depending on the risk level for contracting the virus determined by public health officials.
Young said based on current attendance, the school district will adopt a traditional learning approach if the risk level is 1 or 2 (also identified as "yellow" and "orange"), a hybrid approach if the risk Level is 3 (also known as "red") and remote learning only if the risk level is 4 (also known as "purple").
The levels are determined by the number of active cases and other conditions and announced regularly by the Jefferson County Health Department.
On Friday the department reported the county was at Level 2, or "orange," with 55 confirmed and probable cases, including three hospitalized patients.
Young said if students do return to school, "Every effort will be made to ensure students and staff maintain safe distances from one another in all school environments, including classrooms, hallways, restrooms, cafeterias, playgrounds and on the bus.
She said staff will organize classroom furniture so students occupy no more than 50 percent of a room's capacity whenever possible, while conceding that may not be possible for all grade levels.
Young said in keeping with recommendations by Gov. Mike DeWine and the American Academy of Pediatrics, all students and staff will be required to wear masks when 6 feet of social distance can't be maintained unless special conditions exist.
"If necessary, each school will designate a separate area during lunchtime or students might eat in their classroom in order to ensure a social distancing is available while students eat and drink and cannot wear face coverings," she said, adding school meals will be "grab and go."
Young said students must wear masks on school buses, which will be loaded from back to front, to reduce contact between students, and sanitized between each run.
She said custodians will sanitize school buildings frequently while hand sanitizer will be made available to everyone at entrances and high traffic areas and more time will be allotted for handwashing each day.
Young noted the present plans could change as new guidance is provided by state and local officials.