Bensalem Working On School Reopening Options

BENSALEM, PA — With less than two months to go before the first day of classes, officials in the Bensalem Township School District are working to determine what back-to-school will look like in the age of coronavirus.

"Numerous" work groups are crafting a plan that will be submitted to the district's school board in late July, schools Superintendent Samuel Lee said in a letter to the school community.

The final plan will be shared with the school board in advance of a special meeting on July 28, Lee said.

"It is very likely that changes will be made as we continue to review research, monitor data trends and receive guidance from the state and county," Lee said. "We ask the patience of the community as we focus on the safety of our district’s students, staff, and faculty."

Parents, students, staff and faculty completed a survey that members of the groups are considering as they work on a reopening plan.

Lee said current planning includes cleaning, sanitizing and ventilation, student "traffic" patterns in hallways, classroom seating set-up, social distancing, mask-wearing and limiting visitors to schools.

Changing lunch protocols, limiting field trips and large gatherings, bus seating and health monitoring also are being considered, he said.

"Our planning is and must be fluid and flexible, because directives from officials are being updated continuously," Lee said in the letter.

Last month, Bucks County health officials released school reopening guidelines, offering specific safety measures the county's public school districts should follow as they plan for a fall reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The goal of the guidelines are to plan for a "safe and reasonably normal" reopening, said David Damsker, the director of the Bucks County Health Department.

On its website, the Centennial School District has posted links to guidance that officials will be following as they make plans for the 2020-21 school year. They include the state and county reopening guidelines and a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics Society.

Bucks County is recommending that, for in-person schooling, students be required to wear masks on buses and "possibly in hallways," but not in classrooms. Students and staff will be required to have a mask with them at all times in case it is needed.

Additionally, a minimum distance of three feet spacing is recommended for classroom seating, and seats should be configured to maximize on social distancing, the county recommends.
Other safety recommendations from the county include:

• Parents and guardians must screen children for symptoms before school each day, as must district staff before leaving for work.
• Masks will be required aboard buses, where up to two students will be allowed to share a seat.
• Staff who not able to socially distance from students in class must wear a mask or face shield.
• Frequent hand-washing or sanitizing, and regular disinfection of high-touch surfaces will be required.
• Ventilation in classrooms and common areas will be enhanced when possible.
• High-traffic hallway use will be limited by staggering the end of classroom periods when feasible, and masks may be required if staggering is not feasible.
• Cafeteria seating will be staggered, and possibly assigned, to enforce social distancing and assist contact tracing if necessary.

None of the recommendations are mandatory, the county confirmed.

The Bucks County health department has prepared a list of frequently asked questions about the reopening of schools. Those can be found here.