Marshall County Schools Superintendent Steve Miracle in a letter to the community, laid out how Marshall County Schools plan to operate this upcoming school year regarding COVID-19. Miracle said the recommended Safe Return Plan was approved at the July 15 school board meeting.
Miracle provided high points of the plan below:
• MCSD will not require mask wearing of students or staff indoors or outdoors. Students and Staff
are encouraged to make their own decisions concerning mask use. Anyone wishing to wear a mask is welcome to do so.
• Masks are required on public transportation, including buses operated by public and private school systems, for all persons two years of age or older unless otherwise exempted, in accordance with President Biden’s Executive Order and CDC’s public health order. This is the only mandate that is currently in place.
• MCSD will not require physical distancing of 3 feet. MCSD will use physical distance as much as possible in classrooms.
• MCSD will be cleaning once a day to sufficiently remove potential virus that may be on surfaces. Disinfecting (using disinfectants on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency COVID-19 list) removes any remaining germs on surfaces, which further reduces any risk of spreading infection.
• MCSD will modify water fountains so that only the water bottle filling station is available for use.
• MCSD will turn on the HVAC units 2 hours before school starts each day. MCSD will leave the HVAC unit running 2 hours after school ends each day. Windows may be opened, and teachers may hold class outdoors as weather permits.
• MCSD will not allow any visitors in the building to eat lunch with students until after September 6, 2021.
• MCSD will have MC Academy provide a virtual option for students in grades 6-12. This means that the student will be enrolled in MC Academy, not his/her home school.
We are asking students, teachers, and all other staff to stay home when they have any symptoms of an infectious illness. We also ask that they seek medical attention to determine the cause of their symptoms. We are also asking students, teachers, and staff who may test positive for COVID-19 to inform Marshall County Schools as soon as possible. Marshall County School District (MCSD) will work with the Marshall County Health Department (MCHD) to provide information about vaccination availability to students and staff who choose to receive the vaccination.
Please be mindful that the schools continue to get the attention for how we are going to operate (masks or no masks). The rest of the world is currently operating without masks. Placing the restriction of wearing masks on our students when no other entity in the state is doing so accomplishes nothing.
Marshall County Public schools is currently following what has come down from the state level—making the decision through local control. There is no state mandate for masks in schools other than on the bus.