We made it through the end a very strange school year disrupted by the coronavirus crisis. But, what will public schools look like when class resume this fall? Educators are busy trying to come up with answers to some very difficult questions.
In Ventura County, the Ventura County Office Of Education is working with the state's education and health departments, as well as with county health officials to develop guidelines school districts can use to create their plans.
Dr. Stan Mantooth is Ventura County’s Superintendent of Schools.
Mantooth says we don’t have an answer yet to one of the biggest questions. It’s whether we will see more remote classes, a return to classrooms, or perhaps some type of a hybrid approach in the fal
One big change we already know about is school lunches. Because of coronavirus safety concerns, you won’t be seeing kids with trays going though buffet style lines. It will be packaged, and kids might be eating in their classrooms instead of the cafeteria.
Mantooth says another area being looked at is testing, to try to insure kids or a sick aren’t in school putting others at risk. Thermometers may be used to make sure sick kids, or staff members don't end up at schools.
The Ventura County Schools Superintendent says another issue which is still a question mark in a public school setting is over the use of masks, and what requirements will be involved.
Mantooth says while school district in the county will have latitude to customize the way they use the safety guidelines, they are working to make them as uniform as they can to avoid confusion:
The Ventura County schools official admits developing guidelines isn’t easy, because we are dealing with a situation which is very much in flux.
