The Tennessee Department of Education released guidance for school systems to follow during the reopening process mind the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As this is an evolving situation, the department will continue to post updates about reopening guidance for districts, as new information is available,” the department said on its website.
According WVLT-TV, officials introduced several reopening toolkits including the following:
- School nutrition
- Transportation
- Special populations
- Finance
- Technology
- Well-being and mental health
- Counseling
- Early Childhood Education
- Post-secondary transition
- Governance
- Physical health
- Staffing
- School improvement
According to the latest guidance, schools will limit public access on campus, have controlled entry and exit ways, one-way foot traffic patterns and clear drop-off procedures.
The guidance suggests schools implement no-touch bathrooms, no-touch trash cans and hand sanitizer stations. Schools are encouraged to remove access to vending machines, drinking fountains and other “high-touch” objects.
In the fall, many schools will increase bus routes to increase social distancing and provide fully-boxed lunches with individually wrapped utensils. According to the Department of Education, students should have staggered meals and independent seating.
