Flagler back-to-school plan: Optional masks and lots of hand sanitizer

Flagler County students will return to in-person classes on Aug. 10 during the coronavirus pandemic — complete with optional masks, one-way hallways, pre-wrapped school lunches and hand sanitizer. Lots of hand sanitizer.

Flagler County families learned last week they could return to traditional, in-person schooling or switch to iFlagler, the district’s virtual option. A survey of parents showed that more than one-quarter of respondents would be switching to virtual schooling.

[READ MORE: Volusia-Flagler schools planned for in-person classes before state mandate]

[READ MORE: What is iFlagler? Answers to your questions about virtual schooling]

On Tuesday the district unveiled details about the additional health and safety measures it will implement for in-person learning.

Notably, masks and face coverings will be optional for all students. Even on buses and in hallways, students are “strongly encouraged” to wear them, but not required. District spokesman Jason Wheeler said it would be hard for schools to enforce a mask mandate when cities don’t require them — but already, the city of Palm Coast is mandating masks, which could change things for the schools.

“This is a living document, a living plan,” Wheeler said. “As we get additional information it’s going to be updated and things are possibly going to change.”

Guidance from the Florida Department of Education encouraged school districts to explore strategies to use masks where feasible when close contact is hard to avoid, like on buses or in courses that require close contact.

[READ MORE: Education chief orders Florida schools to reopen in August]

The DOE also suggested that districts consider having students eat lunch in classrooms rather than a communal space like a cafeteria, and screening students for symptoms as they enter campus. Flagler plans to have students eat lunch in the cafeteria but will adjust the way food is served. Parents are being asked to screen their children for symptoms each day before they get to campus.

“Schools are designed to bring people together, creating shared learning spaces,” state the district’s reopening guidelines. “We want our teachers to connect with students in-person, empower our students to collaborate, and increase the value of a shared educational journey.”

Increased pressure from state and national government officials, daily spikes in the number of cases and the rapidly approaching start to school mean Florida districts are scrambling to finalize their back-to-school plans. Volusia County is set to release more details about its plan to return to in-person learning next week.

[READ MORE: DeSantis: Schools will have 'traditional start' as Volusia-Flagler working on plans]

As with everything related to the pandemic, Flagler County parents are split. Dozens of respondents to the district’s survey applauded the effort to return to normal. “Please,” one anonymous survey taker wrote. “Open schools. Under any circumstance.”

But other parents aren’t so sure. Debra Blazer made the decision to switch her son, who’s going into eighth grade, to virtual school for the next year.

“My son really, really wants to go back to school,” she said. “He misses his friends, he misses his teachers. But we decided it’s really our duty to keep him home.”

Blazer also started a petition, which has more than 300 signatures now, asking the school district to consider a hybrid option for returning to school and additional safety measures, like requiring masks and temperature checks before students can go to school each day.

Non-essential visitors will not be allowed on Flagler County campuses. Buses, restrooms, common touchpoints, gym equipment and clinics will be frequently disinfected. Hand sanitizer will be available in all buses and classrooms, and in hallways and common areas. Cafeteria workers will wear face coverings, self-serve stations will be eliminated and student IDs will be scanned to pay for lunches, so they won’t have to manually enter numbers. Non-essential items will be removed from classrooms, the sharing of materials will be limited and efforts will be made to space seating as much as possible.

If a student or staff member contracts COVID-19, they cannot return to work or school until cleared by a physician with a doctor’s note reflecting the day of return. The district will notify the health department, which will conduct contact tracing. The district will decide whether or not to close schools or clusters of schools on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the public health officials.

For a full list of safety measures, visit flaglerschools.com/return_to_school.