How one SWFL school is reassuring parents they’re ready for students to return amidst a pandemic

Many parents are apprehensive about sending their kids back to school and don’t know if they actually will. But, the school year is set to begin in about six weeks so parents don’t have much time to make up their minds.

Schools don’t have much time to get their safety precautions down to make sure students are kept safe and healthy, but one SWFL school is all set for the upcoming school year and is ready for students to return safely.

“We are very excited to see all of our school families and communities come together again,” said Elizabeth Basart, head of Discovery Day Academy, a private school in Bonita Springs.

While excited, she and other faculty and staff are well-prepared.  They’ve devised a plan that also keeps families and medical professionals in the loop.

“We have essentially established a collaborative plan that both includes family input as well as a medical advisory group,” said Basart.

Part of that plan includes handwashing stations outside of classroom doors as well as new air purification systems throughout the building. In addition to that, “at pickup and drop off, our parents, as well as staff, we’re going to use touch-free thermometers and a pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen saturation. They have shown that’s a potential indicator in having the virus then just at the point of a child relatively exhibiting a fever,” Basart said.

The school is also eliminating communal water fountains, insisting that students bring their own water, and class sizes will be downsized as well.

“We are limiting our class sizes to no more than 12 students,” she said. “Our music classes, our foreign language teachers, our arts teachers will be traveling to classrooms to really limit travel throughout the building and cleaning supplies in between each group.”

As for Lee County schools, they have yet to announce their plans and procedures for the upcoming school year.

“I definitely have concerns as far as safety goes,” said Lee County parent, Bridget Wooten. Despite that, her children will definitely be going back to school.

Ericka Lopez, whose children got to Bonita Springs Charter, isn’t so sure her daughter will be returning. “It’s a little bit nerve-racking for us. Brianna has leukemia, so it’s very hard,” she said. ” I think we are going to do the virtual school for her.”

For Discovery Day Academy’s full plan, look here.