LOLO — The Lolo School Board voted Thursday night on what school will look like for students when they head back to class during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members decided on a hybrid model, where students have the option to choose to go to school in person or do online schooling.
Roughly 400 students will be returning to the classroom while 100 students will stick to distance learning.
Lolo School District Superintendent Dale Olinger says since some students have opted out of in-person classes, they can manage smaller classroom sizes.
Educators who teach special subjects will move between classrooms so students do not have to.
Students will also go out for recess in static groups of classrooms at the same time every day, and all the playground equipment will be sanitized after each use by special crews.
Olinger says that grouping the classrooms together makes contact tracing easier to navigate. "We are just trying to minimize the mixing so that way if there is a case here, it will make it as smooth as possible for contact tracing."
Olinger also told MTN News that the drop-off part of the day will be different as teachers will be waiting for their students to bring them directly into the classroom instead of students playing on the playground in the morning.
Olinger also wants to remind parents of three important things before sending kids to school -- take a health screening test in the morning, teach kids that masks are not a disciplinary action but for safety, and be patient with the administration as they navigate the new normal.
Click here for more information about the Lolo School District COVID-19 plan.
