South Bend schools announce preliminary reopening plan

The South Bend Community School Corporation announced preliminary details on how the district plans to bring students back in the fall during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first day back to school will be August 12. The rest of the school calendar can be viewed on the district website.

In coordination with the St. Joseph County Health Department, the district will have the following protocols in place at every school:

• All staff and students are required to have a mask with them at all times.
• There will be times indoors or in enclosed spaces that six feet of physical distance cannot be maintained.
• Students and staff will be required to be fever-free for 72 hours without use of fever-reducing medication before returning to school.
• In-school clinics will identify and use a separate space to treat symptomatic students.
• Visitors and guests in school buildings will be restricted.
• Instructional space and scheduling flexibility will be maximized.
• Employee cleaning procedures will be enhanced with additional hand sanitizing stations.
• “Perfect attendance” incentives will be discontinued for students and staff.
• Lunches will be adjusted to maximize available open space and utilize alternate scheduling to adhere to safety guidelines.