Utah School Districts Announce Opening Plans For 2020-21 School Year
Jul 30, 2020, 7:38 PM | Updated: Aug 12, 2020, 4:27 pm
SAlT LAKE CITY, Utah – As school district officials across Utah announce their plans for opening in just a few weeks, all share one thing in common – a focus on the safety of students and staff after closing the doors last March during the COVID-19 pandemic. While all of the district plans ask for flexibility, most are hoping to provide students with in-person instruction, as well as online options for learning.
The following are a list of the school districts in Utah, their opening dates, and some of their plans for the 2020-21 school year. Some of the plans will continue to be updated until at least August 1.
Alpine School District
Date: August 18
Plan: The Alpine School District released their “Return to Learn” Plan. The district will resume daily face-to-face instruction for students, while also providing an online learning option for those who choose.
Guidelines: Students, teachers, and school staff are to wear a mask or face covering while on the bus, in common areas, during transition times, in classrooms, and when arriving and dismissing from school. Occasional allowances may be made under the discretion of the teacher with appropriate distancing. Students and teachers are asked to wash their hands frequently, and to avoid touching their faces. Breakfast and lunch will be served each school day in a “grab-and-go” format. Eating areas throughout the school will be designated, including areas for students with food allergies (classrooms will not be required eating areas).
Beaver School District
Date: August 19
Plan: Beaver School District has outlined a plan for the 2020-21 school year here, including responding to state and health department recommendations. Curriculum and lessons will be prepared for in-person and remote learning.
Guidelines: Reusable masks will be provided to all employees and students. Visitors to school facilities will also be asked to wear a mask.
Box Elder School District
Date: August 31
Plan: BESD has a “Return to Learn” plan that can be found here. The district is planning on opening schools with added implementation of protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In-person or online instruction is available to students.
Guidelines: Social distancing, increased hand-washing, and wearing masks are included in the “Return to Learn” plan.
Cache County School District
Date: August 20
Plan: The Cache County School District re-opening plan for 2020-21 can be found here. The school day will be shortened 45 minutes at the end of each day for elementary, middle, and high school students at all campuses. Teachers will be available during this time to provide open office hours for both in-person and remote learning students and to prepare instruction for both of these learning environments.
Guidelines: For respiratory hygiene, all students and employees are expected to have a clean face covering and wear it when physical distancing is not possible. Cloth face masks will be supplied to all students and cloth face masks and shields will be made available to all employees and staff. Accommodations will be made for students or staff who are unable to wear masks for medical or health reasons.
Canyons School District
Date: August 24
UPDATE: The first day of school was pushed back one week.
This fall’s first day of school in #Canyons has been pushed back one week. School will start on Aug. 24 instead of Aug. 17. This will give Canyons teachers, principals and Education Support Professionals, extra time to prepare for the school year.
— Canyons District (@canyonsdistrict) August 5, 2020
Plan: The Canyons School District Back-to-School plan can be found here. “Our plan provides high-quality educational options for parents in online or in-person formats, cleaning and safety protocols to protect students and employees, and social-emotional supports to help those who are struggling during a challenging and uncertain time. While our plan addresses many issues, we realize the plan may not address all needs or expectations. As in any other school year, the District and school administrations will problem-solve unique situations as they arise with individual schools, students, families and employees.”
UPDATE: School administrators have been tasked with designing operational plans eyed toward physical distancing based on each school’s individual layout. As part of the Canyons District Back-to-School Action Plan, each CSD school has created its own site-specific safety plan, which were posted on school and CSD websites on Aug. 1.
CSD administrators have been carefully preparing for students' return to class. Here's a look at some of the cite-specific measures taken to ensure appropriate physical distancing. https://t.co/eFKtgKROD5
— Canyons District (@canyonsdistrict) August 4, 2020
Guidelines: Schools will be cleaned throughout the day and into the evening hours. Canyons District, which will follow the governor’s order to require the use of face coverings, will supply hand sanitizers, soap, and other Personal Protection Equipment, such as Plexiglas in high-traffic areas and face shields and coverings.
Carbon School District
Date: August 19
Plan: The CSD plan is based on all healthy students being in school. It can be found here. Students who cannot be physically in school on a temporary basis will participate in remote learning.
Guidelines: Due to the executive order from Governor Herbert, all individuals (students and staff) will be required to wear face coverings that cover both nose and mouth (masks, shields, etc…) at school and on buses. An individual with a medical condition, mental health condition, disability, deaf or hard of hearing, Individual Education Program (IEP), or 504 Plan that prevents wearing a face covering may be exempt.
Daggett School District
Date: August 24
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
Davis School District
Date: August 25
Plan: UPDATE: Originally, Davis School District planned on a “normal” school opening with required face coverings, enhanced hygiene/sterilization procedures, and — where possible — physical distancing. Due to the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in our community and in order to further limit the spread of the virus, we need to increase our capacity to provide physical distancing in our schools. To accomplish this we will implement an alternate-day, hybrid (in person/remote) learning model. More information here.
The Board of Education meets at 6 p.m. today, Aug. 4, in the district auditorium, 45 E. State Street, Farmington. A limited number of seats will be available. Limited overflow seating at 70 E. 100 North. Meeting will be streamed live on YouTube at https://t.co/pman5SmDOO
— DavisSchools (@DavisSchools) August 4, 2020
Guidelines: Mitigate risk/spread by encouraging physical distancing, proper hand hygiene, sanitization, wearing masks, staggering class start and release times, hallway flow adjustments, adjusting lunch times and seating, recess modifications and spacing of students in common areas.
The District has a plan in place to safely open schools in the fall during the COVID-19 pandemic. To view the "Big Five" plan in further detail, click here: https://t.co/K7yU5sXnpL. For students who prefer not to attend in-person, two fully online options will be available. pic.twitter.com/IrnVj2W1pV
— DavisSchools (@DavisSchools) July 7, 2020
Duchesne County School District
Date: August 26
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
Emery County School District
Date: August 25
Plan: The plan for the 2020-21 school year will be updated here. Our intention is that teachers and students will be returning to schools, in-person, on August 25 th . We also know there will need to be some flexibility and understanding of individual circumstances. We are planning toward that as well.
Guidelines: The plan will be based on the State Board of Education’s “Planning Requirements and Recommendations for K-12 School Reopening” as well as input received from teachers, staff, and parents. State guidance can be found at: https://schools.utah.gov/coronavirus.
Garfield County School District
Date: August 19
Plan: The district is preparing schools for students to return to a traditional environment on August 19, 2020. Information can be found here. “We feel strongly that this is a lofty but worthy goal. We are known for our unique ability to have a small student to teacher ratio allowing teachers to build lasting and meaningful relationships with kids. This is what makes us great, and can only be fully realized when students attend school.”
Guidelines: We have committed to state government and health officials to go above and beyond to minimize the risk of contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. We ask for your help and support as we implement what may feel like cumbersome safety protocols.
Grand County School District
Date: September 8
Plan: GCSD supports reopening schools in a safe and thoughtful manner. Information can be found here. GCSD also supports Utah’s 55-day Moonshot (plan to quell COVID-19 by Labor Day). As a result, the first day of school (except for preschool and kindergarten) will be Tuesday, September 8. You may choose to have your child attend school in person or to be educated online by a certified teacher (elementary) or through SEATS – the Utah Online Education Program (secondary).
Guidelines: All staff members and students are required to wear facial coverings at school and on busses (clear shield, mask, buff, gator, bandana etc.) when 6 feet or greater physical distancing is not possible and will be encouraged to wear them at all times. Face coverings will not be required for individuals with a medical or mental health condition or disability that prevents wearing one. GCSD will provide staff and students with face coverings and gloves.
COVID-19 Letter to Parents Regarding Reopening – Please follow the link to see the attached letter to parents regarding reopening. https://t.co/0XC5wBwPT8 https://t.co/0XC5wBwPT8 pic.twitter.com/a7mhJl2Lru
— Grand County School District (@grand_district) July 16, 2020
Granite School District
Date: August 24
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
What will distance learning look like for elementary students in @GraniteSchools this fall? Here’s a preview. pic.twitter.com/tBQcUOEidJ
— Granite Educational Technology (@GraniteEdTech) July 22, 2020
Iron County School District
Date: August 11
Plan: Together with the Southwest Utah Health Department, teachers, district staff, administrators, nurses, doctors, parents, and community stakeholders we have developed guidance for the opening of school with all students having the opportunity to attend on a regular schedule. However, we realize the risk of infection and the corresponding need to follow health guidelines increases as we come together again in our schools. If you would like your child — for any reason — to not attend school in a traditional on-campus setting, the Iron County School District has two full online school options. The plan for re-opening and guidelines for the 2020-21 school year can be found here.
School reopening update from Superintendent Dulaney. See: https://t.co/dwzYSBPRyC pic.twitter.com/RbBgfHT9tn
— Iron County Schools (@Iron_Schools) July 9, 2020
RT @EducationNext: As districts and schools look to what may be a daunting fall, they have an opportunity to respond to short-term challenges in a way that benefits students over the long haul. https://t.co/IgK6JFVUFt #UtahEducationNetwork
— Utah Education Network (@uennews) August 4, 2020
Jordan School District
Date: August 17
Plan: More information can be found here. JSD will resume face-to-face instruction for students on a regular school schedule Monday-Thursday. Students will not be required to attend in person on Fridays. Fridays will be structured around meeting individual student needs and extending learning from earlier in the week.
Guidelines: Jordan School District will meet any applicable state or county mandates requiring face coverings in schools. Students are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering at school. Students may be required to wear a face covering in some circumstances (assemblies, higher risk classes, offices). Alternative activities will be offered for students who choose not to wear a face covering. Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting will take place regularly in all buildings.
What Will Virtual, Online Learning Look Like in Jordan School District for the 2020-21 School Year?
We invite you to watch this video and find out.https://t.co/Z8IdkSX8Sv#Utah #utpol #uted
— Jordan District (@jordandistrict) July 22, 2020
Juab School District
Date: August 19
Plan: A Monday – Thursday full day schedule, along with a Friday digital learning and development day, will take place each week to give teachers sufficient time to schedule student interventions, manage in-person and online instruction and to develop instructional programs. More information can be found here.
Guidelines: Employees will mitigate risk/spread by encouraging physical distancing, following proper hand washing and sanitization, wearing masks, staggering class start and release times, adjusting hallway flow, adjusting lunch times and seating, creating recess modifications and spacing of students in common areas.
The Juab School District COVID-19 Action Plan is now available online at https://t.co/Q5lMbLb0Z4
This plan provides an overview for reopening our schools for the 2020-2021 school year. The plan outlines school schedules, learning opportunities, and risk prevention. pic.twitter.com/grZqgPnrje
— Juab School District (@JuabSD) July 20, 2020
Kane County School District
Date: August 19
Plan: The school reopening plan can be found here. Currently, we are planning a normal school opening on August 19. Our hope is to have all students return to school with in-person instruction while taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Guidelines: We recognize the conversations regarding face covering requirements can be controversial on both sides of the issue. In an effort to be compliant with Governor Herbert’s recent mandate, Kane School District will require employees and students to wear face coverings on buses and in schools, when appropriate.
Logan City School District
Date: August 19
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 school year can be found here. The District is planning a “soft-opening” phase that will allow us to work with students and staff to implement routines and monitor their impact before enacting a year-long plan. This soft-opening will last from August 19 through September 25.
Guidelines: All students and staff will be expected to wear face coverings while at school and on buses, in accordance with the Governor Herbert’s mandate. Students who do not wish to wear face coverings at school (due to personal choice, medical need, or a disability) may choose to receive their instruction through the LCSD Online system. Students who wish to participate in face-to-face learning at school will be expected to wear face coverings while at school. Staff will also be expected to wear face coverings, either masks or face shields, in accordance with Governor Herbert’s mandate. Students will be provided two masks by the district. If the student prefers a different type of face covering (i.e. gaiter), those will be allowed. All visitors to the school will be required to wear a mask while at school.
Millard School District
Date: August 19
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 school year can be found here. Millard School District schools will reopen on August 19, 2020 as per our original schedule. We will follow our advertised schedule for the school year and our daily schedule. While it is anticipated that the schools within the Millard School District will maintain as nearly a regular schedule as possible, accommodations are recommended where possible to reduce crowding and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Guidelines: Cloth masks will be provided for students and employees. Students will be strongly encouraged to wear masks during the school day. Employees will be directed to wear face masks when physical distancing of 6 feet is not possible. Accommodations will be made for staff and students who have respiratory issues. Schools will increase instruction and monitoring of student hand-washing.
Morgan School District
Date: August 25
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
Murray School District
Date: August 17
Plan: Under our current plan (subject to approval by the school board), we will offer classroom, online, and hybrid options for learning. We will also address safety for students, staff, and patrons in a number of different ways. More information can be found here.
Guidelines: Students, teachers, staff, and visitors will be required to wear a face covering. Mealtimes will be staggered to help with distancing.
👉👉MCSD Seeking Water Bottles for Students👈👈
Help us spread the word by sharing our call for water bottle donations among our business community.
Go here to read the details: https://t.co/pWdZlShqIv pic.twitter.com/l5UevmYeA4
— Murray Schools, Utah (@MurraySchoolsUT) June 2, 2020
Nebo School District
Date: August 19
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
North Sanpete School District
Date: August 20
Plan: Information and guidelines about the 2020-21 re-opening is found here.
North Summit School District
Date: August 19
Plan: We are planning a normal school opening on Wednesday, August 19, with the same schedule as in the past, Monday through Friday. We are excited to have our students back in the buildings. Our hope is to keep school in the buildings, and we know it will take a concerted effort to keep our facilities safe from the spread of COVID-19. Our kids deserve the opportunity to have their schooling and activities restored as much as possible. It will take all of us to ensure that happens. Updated info can be found here.
Guidelines: Encouraging proper hand hygiene, sanitization, face coverings, hallway flow adjustments, physical distancing, lunchtime adjustments for serving and seating, and recess modifications.
Ogden School District
Date: August 20
Plan: Keeping Ogden Healthy focuses on six key areas to ensure a safe and healthy return to school. The six areas are: Sanitation & Hygiene, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Physical Distancing, Student Well-Being, Staff Well-Being, and Student Learning & Engagement. More information can be found here.
Guidelines: Keeping Ogden Healthy mitigates the spread of COVID-19 through the use of face masks or coverings and encouraging proper hygiene & sanitization, physical distancing, hallway flow adjustments, modifying lunch times and seating, recess adjustments and spacing of students in common areas
Our students, parents and educators spoke. We listened.
During a special session Monday, the Ogden School District Board of Education approved the District’s plan for students to return to school this fall. https://t.co/NqryEMwlYW. pic.twitter.com/O1aFXw2vE5
— OgdenSchoolDistrict (@ogdensd) July 21, 2020
Park City School District
Date: August 20
Plan: In-person, full-time school will begin August 20 for K-12th grades following our regular school calendar. Families can choose a fully online school option, if they prefer. Students will not lose their seats in their 2020/21 school if they choose this option. More information can be found here.
Guidelines: Throughout the global pandemic, health conditions have frequently changed, and we are prepared to adapt along with them. Park City School District has worked on backup plans and scenarios to mitigate risk to our staff, students and community while planning our return to school for in person learning on August 20, 2020.
Piute County School District
Date: August 26
Plan: The 2020-21 re-opening plan can be found here. Schools will have opportunities to customize
needs at their individual sites within the Framework.
Guidelines: All school administrators and supervisors will be trained using protocols with the expectation that they will train the employees working under their supervision.
Provo City School District
Date: August 19
Plan: The Return to School Plan can be found here. We are focusing the majority of our resources and efforts toward having all students receive At-School Learning: face-to-face instruction, at the school, every day. As indicated in the responses to the parent survey sent out by the district, a majority would like students to return to the school. We also recognize that this approach may not work for some families or students. Therefore, we will also offer Digital Learning for those who need it.
Guidelines: Parents perform daily wellness checks of each student before school attendance. Physical/social distancing will be implemented where possible. Bus students must wear face masks and will have assigned seating. Enhanced sanitizing practices and routines will be implemented. IEP and 504 plans will be met.
Stay up-to-date with all our the latest news on our Return to School plans on our Website at https://t.co/gtV08js31P pic.twitter.com/quNIvvLmti
— ProvoSchoolDistrict (@ProvoSchoolDist) July 20, 2020
Rich School District
Date: August 24
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
Salt Lake City School District
Date: September 8
Plan: UPDATE: Plan includes our students beginning the year through remote learning. Remote learning will be in place until the end of the first quarter, OR until health conditions in our city improve and allow us to bring our students back into the classroom.
Our Board of Education has approved a plan that we feel balances the importance of taking care of the health and safety of our students and employees while also balancing the need to provide a quality education to our students. #SLCSD #uted https://t.co/2C0u89uOMQ pic.twitter.com/4Ap4j9Dllm
— SLC School District (@slcschools) July 31, 2020
Guidelines: Salt Lake City is currently in the Orange (Moderate Risk) phase of Utah’s COVID-19 recovery plan. If we remain in this phase or move backward to the Red (High Risk) phase, all instruction will be conducted only remotely. In the Yellow (Low Risk) phase, our schools will be able to operate on a Modified Schedule, where students will spend time each week learning in class and time learning remotely. We will continue to support student learning in all Core content areas, as well as fine arts, music, physical education, and library services. Parents will be contacted by their school principals in the next few weeks with information on which days their student will attend school in our Modified Schedule.
This coming school year will be different. One of the big changes will be wearing a mask to school. KSL TV spoke with one Utah family who is hoping their experience with mask-wearing in school will help others.#SLCSD #utedhttps://t.co/JJSaoj9EXD
— SLC School District (@slcschools) July 18, 2020
San Juan School District
Date: August 20
Plan: This plan is fluid and as present conditions change and additional directives are released to us by local health departments, Navajo Nation authorities, or State authorities, this plan will be modified as appropriate. More information can be found here.
Guidelines: Protocols will focus on hygiene etiquette, social distancing where possible, staff and students wearing masks when social distancing is not possible, increasing sanitizing efforts, and having students and staff stay home when sick.
Information on San Juan School District COVID-19 re-entry plan can be found here. https://t.co/b6g4pCvFjE pic.twitter.com/dyk94a9QhK
— San Juan Schools (@sanjuanschools) July 20, 2020
Sevier School District
Date: August 18
Plan: The re-opening protocol Return to School Vision, Plans, and Tactics can be found here. The goal is to welcome all students for face-to-face instruction every day.
Guidelines: Schools will be expected to screen students and there is a screening document to help with this process. Face coverings and masks are likely considered the second most important mitigating factor.
The @SevierSchoolDis Board approved our Return to School Protocol last night. We are excited to share it & several other important documents. See https://t.co/f0J7nlaRu7 for more. Attached is a letter to all students & parents. Together we can keep schools open! #seviersdstrong pic.twitter.com/cK7NdxeaxW
— Cade J. Douglas Ph.D (@CadeDoug) July 16, 2020
South Sanpete School District
Date: August 20
Plan: South Sanpete School District plans to start the 2020-2021 school year with students coming back to our classrooms for in-person instruction. Working closely with State and Local officials, we are currently in the process of developing plans to assist all students and faculty in remaining healthy and safe while at school. More information can be found here.
Guidelines: Masks will be strongly recommended/required when safe distancing is NOT possible. Schools will do their best to space student out and social distance students inside the classrooms. Teachers will continue to use iPads (packets for Pre-2 grade) to instruct students for their traditional face-to-face classes and/or the online/virtual home learning. If we revert, we may need to go strictly to the online/virtual instruction.
South Summit School District
Date: August 19
Plan: We desire for students to return to school every day while also needing to develop a plan designed for the flexibility of students being in the classroom physically and learning online as a pandemic can cause rapid enrollment changes. More info here.
Guidelines: Faculty and staff will wear appropriate face coverings as mandated under state and county order and when social distancing is not possible. Students will wear appropriate face coverings as mandated under state and county order and when social distancing is not possible.
Tintic School District
Date: August 19
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
Tooele County School District
Date: August 25
Plan: The school re-opening plan can be found here. To ensure students receive a robust education, TCSD is offering full-time in-person and remote learning academic options. Families will be able to choose to enroll their children in either online or in-person classes.
On 8/8, schools received their first shipment of personal protective equipment including face masks, sneeze guards, hand sanitizer, thermometers for quarantine rooms, and more. Utah's Unified Command will also be sending five KN95 masks and two face shields for employees. pic.twitter.com/9QyhKHCKSt
— Tooele Schools (@tooeleschools) August 12, 2020
Guidelines: Nurses and trained staff will help to educate and screen for COVID-19 symptoms. Parents are asked to take an active role in their child’s health and also screen for symptoms before sending them to school. Students will have assigned seating in the classroom to help with the contact tracing process.
Here are answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Fall reopening. Please be patient, more detailed information will be sent out in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/tSnFxsoWVQ
— Tooele Schools (@tooeleschools) July 16, 2020
Unitah School District
Date: August 25
Plan: The plan for the 2020-21 school year can be found here. Students will have the flexibility to participate in school through two main options. Students can participate in a blended model of in-person and online instruction, or they can participate in a home-based virtual school.
Wasatch County School District
Date: August 17
Plan: Information about the 2020-21 re-opening is not currently on the district website.
Washington County School District
Date: August 13
Plan: Washington County School District will open for in-person school on August 13, 2020 on a traditional schedule – Monday through Friday. Friday will be an early-out schedule for all grades K-12 for teacher and staff professional development and training, and deep cleaning of schools. Friday dismissal times: Elementary-1:15 pm, Intermediate-11:45 am, Middle and High Schools-12:30 pm. More info can be found here.
Guidelines: Face coverings required for all staff and students (exceptions for qualifying health condition to be determined on an individual basis). Face coverings will not be required while eating lunch and at recess per the Governor’s Public Health Order. We will all need to do our best to: Protect those most vulnerable, Mitigate risk and potential spread of virus, Parents are encouraged to wash face coverings daily, Monitor this and adjust according to the Governor’s Executive Order
Wayne County School District
Date: August 19
Plan: In an effort to return to some semblance of normalcy, Wayne County School District plans to return to school in the fall with students and teachers returning to class for live, in-person instruction. More info can be found here.
Guidelines: Steps will be taken to mitigate risk and keep all individuals safe, including, staggered lunch and recess times, adjusted cleaning schedules and protocols, etc., just to name a few. WCSD will comply with any applicable state or county mandates requiring face coverings in schools. Per state requirements, faculty and staff will wear face coverings (e.g., masks and/or shields) when physical distancing is not feasible.
Weber School District
Date: August 26
Plan: Throughout the entire school year, Weber School District will follow guidance from state and local health department officials regarding school opening or possible closures. This year’s return to school will come with some new protocols and procedures in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. Here is a link to our Safe Weber—A Responsive Framework to COVID-19.
Guidelines: As we open schools for in-person instruction, it is important that everyone recognizes the role they play in protecting themselves and others. It is absolutely imperative that if anyone experiences flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, chills, nausea, etc.) they stay home. The board of education has suspended high school attendance credit requirements for the 2020-21 school year so that no student feels compelled to attend school. Likewise, elementary and junior high administrators have discontinued any type of perfect attendance awards. Each school will place a heightened emphasis on facility sanitation, including the regular cleaning of touch points, horizontal surface areas and the use of electrostatic sprayers to maintain a clean and healthy school environment. Hand hygiene is vital! We will have hand sanitation stations placed throughout our schools and students will be encouraged to regularly wash their hands as a way to remove germs, avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of germs to others. The school district will provide face coverings for students and teachers. These face coverings are durable, washable and reusable. They will come in school colors and include the school logo. We also have a face shield for every teacher and staff member.
