In-person Learning Option for Elementary Students
Update - January 19, 2021
COVID-19 Mitigation in our schools
In preparation for welcoming students back to in-person learning, we wanted to inform you about the steps we are taking in our buildings to mitigate against the risk of COVID-19.
- Every classroom will have the following supplies:
- Hand sanitizer
- Paper towels
- Disinfectant
- We use hypochlorous acid as our primary disinfectant across the district, and no other outside chemicals will be allowed in our schools. We feel lucky to have the ability to produce this product in-house. Hypochlorous acid is biodegradable, cost-efficient, non-synthetic, and sustainable. It will not burn, sensitize, or irritate skin, eyes, or respiratory systems like other cleaning agents. It causes no harm if it were to be ingested, which makes it the ideal sanitizer for direct food sanitation and food contact surfaces.
- When students enter the classroom:
- In elementary schools, the teacher will spray each desk, and students will wipe them with a paper towel at the beginning and at the end of each school day.
- In secondary schools, this will take place at the beginning and end of each class period.
- Each school has been equipped with touchless water fountains, and a water bottle will be provided for each student.
- High schools will have four (4) touchless water fountains.
- Middle schools and elementary schools will have two (2) touchless fountains (some are currently on back order but will be installed in the near future).
- Every school will be sanitized nightly with electrostatic sprayers and nebulizers.
- Improvements in airflow:
- Airflow has been increased to meet recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in all buildings.
- Classroom doors may remain open to help with airflow and circulation in the building. Exterior doors are to remain closed.
- MERV 13 filters have been installed in all buildings and are being replaced every other month. This is three times more frequent than the recommendation.
- Playground equipment will be sanitized at least three (3) times throughout the day.
- Hand sanitizer stations are located by each playground.
- School custodians will clean and sanitize cafeteria tables after each meal.
- Restrooms will be cleaned and sanitized at least four (4) times per day.
In November, the Board of Education voted to offer an in-person learning option for our youngest students beginning at the end of January. This will begin the week of January 25, 2021, with students in pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade. 2nd through 6th grades will return after that.
Schedule for Returning Students
- Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade students will return to school the week of January 25, 2021.
- 2nd and 3rd grade students will return to school the week of February 1, 2021.
- 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students will return to school the week of February 8, 2021.
COVID-19 and Students
Working closely with the Salt Lake County Health Department, we have examined the latest COVID-19 data for all the school districts in Salt Lake County. The data indicate that elementary school-aged students are contracting COVID-19 at similar rates across the county, regardless of whether they are currently attending school in person or online. There is no statistically significant difference in COVID-19 rates for elementary-aged students in Salt Lake County, which tells us that even though COVID cases are rising in our community at large, the risk does not increase significantly for elementary students when they attend school in person.