Hot Springs ready to welcome back staff, students

Hot Springs Public School Superintendent, Gerald Chouinard, has officially implemented a plan to re-open that was approved by the board last Thursday night. Chouinard says the committee task force began meeting in the middle of July, to go over CDC guidelines, guidelines from the governor, and guidelines from the Office of Public Instruction, in order to build a plan that ensures the safety of the students and faculty members.

Chouinard and his team put together a re-opening plan that implements a combination of virtual learning and on-site learning with traditional schedules. Chouinard said, “there is no doubt that we will be in a new normal, and to a large degree will not be going away any time soon.”

The plan, which outlines the learning model for students and teachers, as well as the preventative safety and health measures that school will be taking, will coincide with the three phases that have been outlined by Governor Bullock.

Within all three phases, the first day of school for Hot Springs students will be on September 8. During all three phases, teachers will work on site, with remote instruction only during phase one. All students will be offered Chromebooks if warranted, and the district will work to provide internet access in the home if necessary.

In phase two and three, on-site learning will be implemented with the option of remote learning instruction that has been offered to the students and family, once they agree to set conditions and sign a remote learning agreement.

In the case of a student or employee testing positive for COVID-19, the school has outlined a three-step plan they will follow. A student who tests positive, will be sent to the nurse’s office until a parent or guardian retrieves the student for quarantine and medical care. Should an employee test positive, they will be sent home immediately for quarantine and medical care. School buildings (pre-K through fifth or sixth through 12) and affected buildings on campus will be shut down for 24-48 hours for deep cleaning and disinfection.

The school will also be following the governor’s directive for requiring faces masks should the county exceed three positive cases. The plan states face coverings will be required for all employees and students – grades pre-k through 12 – in common areas and passing.