Aug 11, 2020

Designated entrances, temp checks, masks all part of 308 plan

Posted Aug 11, 2020 7:19 PM

By NICK GOSNELL

Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As part of the Salthawk Restart plan for Hutchinson Public Schools, there will be a designated entrance for students each morning as they come to school.

"We're going to do temperature checks," said USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks. "With Executive Order 20-59, it requires temperature checks before you enter the building. One of the things that we're going to ask parents is to do an assessment at home before they send their child and then 308 will do the temperature checks before entering the building."

If your child’s temperature is higher than 100 degrees, he or she will be referred to the school nurse for a second temperature check and further assessment as needed.

"The student will be taken aside and we'll try to get a hold of the parents as quickly as we can," said USD 308 spokesperson Ray Hemman. "They'll be placed in a room where there's no other students to avoid any kind of exposure, whether it's COVID-19, whether it's a bacterial infection or other viral infection. We want to make sure that student doesn't pass that along to other students."

Also, mask wearing is mandated, with very few exceptions.

"We want students and staff to wear masks," Folks said. "There's a few times that are spelled out in our plan, which follows Executive Order 20-59, when you can have a reprieve from the mask, but the general rule of thumb is yes. We want students and staff to have a mask on to mitigate the spread as much as possible."

Exceptions for eating and active participation in athletics are a couple of examples.