K-12 Preparedness

As the nation grapples with the topic of K-12 schools reopening this fall, the three areas of concern are transportation or busing service, student transitions between classes and after school activities, and student lunch breaks. If K-12 schools are to reopen, then schools will have to embrace the fact that the only aspects they can truly control is the interactions that occur in the classroom.  Once the student is out of sight, the student is subject to environmental affordances.  These affordances can be modulated somewhat, but this requires conscious effort.  In many instances, humans’ default to things that do not require such conscious effort.  As a result, schools need to embrace these facts and create an environment that does not require such high levels of conscious effort.  In essence, humans are social creatures and this is more pronounced during the K-12 years.  Thus, if as a nation, students are afforded the ability to attend school in person this fall, schools will have to modulate the environmental affordances that arise when students are out of sight and test every student prior to admittance.

Transportation

·       Student temperatures should be taken prior to approaching the bus

·       Students should be provided a clean mask that is worn as they board the bus

·       Students should be required to clean their hands and wipe down their belonging in full witness of the driver prior to taking their seat

·       No food or drink should be allowed on the bus

·       Social distancing should be practiced as applicable in such a constrained space

·       Fans should be installed on buses to assist in greater air exchange

·       Buses should be sanitized at the end of each day

Between Classes and After School

·       Temperature stations should be erected to take random temperature readings as students transition during the day

·       Portable pocket size hand sanitizer should be provided to each student

·       Reminders from teachers on the schools COVID-19 policies prior to class dismissal

·       An open discussion policy so students feel comfortable with COVID-19 and it does not become a stigma

·       A contact tracing capability while students are on school grounds

·       Additional clean air exchange capabilities

·       Schools should be sanitized at the end of each day

Lunch

·       A requirement to sanitize their hands as they enter the cafeteria

·       Students are provided a clean mask that they can use after they eat lunch

·       Utensil dispensers that only emit one utensil in a sanitary manner

·       Cafeteria monitors to prevent herding

·       Adequate spacing of dining tables

·       Smaller tables as opposed to communal tables

·       A requirement to sanitize their hands as they leave the cafeteria

·       Masks and gloves worn by cafeteria staff at all times

·       Contactless payment options

·       No self-service stations

·      Cafeterias should be sanitized at the end of each day

·       Additional clean air exchange capabilities