For the first time in six months students returned to classrooms at Platte County R-3 schools with administrators and teachers using almost all of that time to get ready.
R-3 Superintendent Dr. Mike Reik told the Platte County Citizen his staff has been preparing for Tuesday’s opening since school ended for the 2019-20 campaign.
“We’ve been working basically since summer started,” Reik said. “It’s evolved so much.”
Reik compared this summer to the movie “Groundhog Day” where the main character wakes up to the same day repeated over and over again with a few differences.
Walking through the hallways of any R-3 school one would notice hand sanitizer stations everywhere and signs reminding students to keep their distance. The configuration of one lunch room looked the same except for one difference; instead of six chairs to a table there are only two.
In most areas the district has been able to space desks six feet apart but where they cannot the use of Plexiglas has been implemented. Reik said the district has ordered more and is awaiting its arrival. Other things are not so noticeable like installing air filtration systems in high traffic areas and making adjustments to the air conditioning to lower the humidity.
Drinking stations have been shut down but students are encouraged to bring water bottles they can refill. Reik said handwashing breaks will be a part of the student’s day.
For elementary students things will change with lunch schedules and getting kids in and out of the buildings. Reik said it’s been a collaborative effort among all the staff.
“Every single unit of our district has had to go through a process,” Reik said. “I think our staff has been really good about understanding the situation and rising to the challenge.”
Reik said the district utilized a number of different resources to get guidance including Children’s Mercy Hospital, Johns Hopkins and the local health department. Reik said the reopening plans have been a collaborative effort with them.
“We feel lucky to have them as a resource,” Reik said. “That’s not the situation in every county.”
So what happens if there is an outbreak?
Reik isn’t worried about having an outbreak at the district because of the plans they’ve put in place. The district has hired its own contact tracer. Reik said when an infection is identified that person is isolated.
“We’re really taking a scalpel approach rather than a hatchet,” Reik said. “We’re isolating those people and then we’re letting the rest of the operation continue.”
Reik said the plan the district has developed is already being tested. With two weeks into sports none of the school’s teams have had to shut down despite some athletes testing positive for COVID-19. Reik said no plan is perfect but he’s confident in the plan.
“I feel like we have a good plan and now is the time to deploy that plan,” Reik said. “We’ll make adjustments as we go along.
“People are going to get it,” Reik added. “Our job is to try and control it before it spreads.”