CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – On Tuesday, students in Clay County return to the classroom.
And while there’s been a lot of debate, students will not be required to wear masks. Still, the district does have what it calls a “Smart Restart” plan to keep children as safe as possible.
There are always a lot of questions from parents on the first day, from bussing to schedules, but the question that seems to be gaining the most attention this year is safety from COVID-19 as students go back to class.
The Clay school district’s back-to-school plan goes over a lot including how students arrive at school: “Schools will create plans to stagger the arrival and dismissal of students to maintain social distancing.”
Lucia Andolina took her son to orientation at Ridgeview Elementary School on Monday morning and said she feels confident about sending him back to school.
“Excited but nervous at the same time because of what happened,” Andolina said. “Giving him a mask for safety.”
But Clay is not bucking the state and instituting a mask mandate in the classroom like other school districts in Florida. The mask issue boiled over in the latest school board meeting.
News4Jax asked Superintendent David Broskie about the safety of Clay schools when he joined “The Morning Show.”
“Everything from individualized school plans, align with their unique circumstances of each school site,” he said. “A monitored campus. Maximizing cafeteria space, pre-screening of students. Electrostatic sprayers and the list go on and on.”
On the first day there is bound to be a lot of questions and confusion. Anyone with issues concerning their child’s bus or its schedule, the district has set up a hotline at 904-336-0001.