Districts Exploring How Dances, Activities Can Return Under New Health Order
Feb 24, 2021, 6:40 PM | Updated: 7:43 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Officials with the Granite School District are exploring ways to resume dances and other activities as the number of Utahns getting COVID-19 vaccines increases and new cases continue to decrease.
Parents said they fully support bringing back dances and field trips for students this spring. District officials do as well, but they’re figuring out how to do it safely.
Students in the Granite School District have been learning in-person all year, but they’re missing out on a traditional school experience.
“We have been able to see what is working and what’s not,” said district spokesperson Ben Horsley. “We feel comfortable that we will be able to produce protocols.”
Granite is looking to bring back school dances — including prom — field trips and other learning activities in schools that have been taken away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Are you confident that you can bring back some of these activities safely?” KSL’s Morgan Wolfe asked Horsley.
“Absolutely,” he said.
An option to safely host school dances is having a “Test to Sway” – students would need a negative COVID-19 test 48 hours before the event.
They would limit the capacity and require masks and possibly hold the events outside.
“I think all the schools will look at those protocols and what would be best for their locations,” Horsley said.
Giving students the high school experience they’ve missed.
“We saw a lot of parents organizing these events and they turned into outbreaks,” Horsley said.
The district believes if schools organize the events, it creates a safer environment for everyone.
District officials have a team meeting with the Salt Lake County Health Department Thursday to see how they feel about this proposal to bring back dances and activities.
The hope is Utah will have more herd immunity from vaccines established by the end of the school year to allow these events to happen.
