The Chillicothe City Schools Board of Education released its fall, back-to-school plans during its regular meeting, Monday night. According to School Board President Steve Mullins, students will return to full-day, in-person class sessions on August 10th; however, parents will have through the end of July the option to register their children for remote learning for a semester and/or year.
"While our staff is in the presence of students or in situations that require face-to-face communications without 6-feet distancing, our staff will be required to wear a mask and/or a protective shield during those hours," said Mullins.
In a document released by the district, students will not be required to wear a mask unless they are "unable to maintain social distance or when students are riding buses."
Mullins said each classroom will have a sanitizing station. Additionally, he said that tables at Chillicothe Primary School and Chillicothe Intermediate School will have plexiglass shields for students, while Chillicothe Intermediate School and Chillicothe High/Middle School desks will be separated by 6 feet.
CHS and CMS students will follow one-way hallways, he said.
"All of our classrooms will be sanitized on a regular schedule throughout the day," said Mullins.
The official document of the CCSD re-opening plans can be found here: https://www.chillicothe.k12.oh.us/Content/covid.
"Our re-opening plan does everything possible to mitigate risks; we don't eliminate them all," said Mullins. "Right now, with the environment that we're living in, when you step outside of your door, you're at risk."
Also at Monday's meeting, the CCSD Board of Education approved a reduction in force. Those cut positions included 12 bus aides, four aides, a music teacher, a physical education teacher, a librarian, a secretary, a nurse assistant, and a preschool/early education coordinator.