Joleen Cope
Staff Reporter
We have had quite an interesting start to the 2020 school year, to say the least. Students and teachers have had to adjust to the major changes that have been made due to Covid-19. I am sure everyone has been wondering what the plan regarding the return to campus is.
The state developed a four-phase plan for the school districts to start the process of students going back to in person learning. Currently, we are in stage one, which includes distance learning, special education, and sports conditioning. Stage two, which was originally planned to take action after Labor day, allows developmental preschool, CTE labs, Peoria Flex Academy, and in-season athletes. Next, the hybrid plan, which is stage three. Students are split into two different groups and each one has three online school days and two in person school days which they will switch accordingly. Stage four, which is brilliantly named “My School, My Way”, is the stage in which we can return to campus if we chose that option for every day of the week.
For these four stages to fall into place the school district is required to pass certain benchmarks that have been set by the Arizona Department of Health Services. These benchmarks are the number of cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations. There must be a two week decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in the county or new case rates below 100 per 100,000 people. Additionally, positivity rates have to stay below 7% for two weeks. Finally, the number of hospitalizations for Covid-19 has to be below 10% for two weeks. On August 27th the county was passing in cases and hospitalization rates. However, they failed in the positivity rates as it was not the desired percent for two weeks.
As of today, September 3rd, the county is now passing all of the benchmarks. Clearly no plan has yet to be set in stone as it has changed many times already. It is important to be able to adapt to change and hopefully this all means we will be able to go back to school sometime soon.
Image Credit: Deleece Cook on Unsplash
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