INDIANA — In a major announcement June 5, the Indiana Dept. of Education released guidelines for schools to open throughout the state. The preliminary guidelines may be revised later as more information about medical knowledge of COVID-19 evolves.
Per the Governor’s executive order, Indiana schools are allowed to reopen on July 1. Administrators will work with local health departments to assess the school’s ability to meet the necessary health and safety measures required to prevent the spread of the disease among students and staff. Not all districts and schools will be able to address the guidelines, and administrators are encouraged to get information from local public health officials to find out how to proceed.
Districts should begin planning for 180 days of instruction: on-site, virtual, and blended instruction, depending on circumstances. Districts are encouraged to look at shorter or longer breaks in the school year, and to review policies and procedures to remove punishments for student and staff absences when there is a localized outbreak.
The 38 pages of guidelines include measures that ask districts to review cleaning and sterilizing school property policies, and to develop physical distancing policies within schools.