While it is another executive order from the governor,
the mandate stops short of requiring school districts to follow the guidance. Rather, it recommends district leaders consider several measures to help resume in-person instruction.
Here's a look at some of the guidance that's involved in the executive order:
- School districts must require universal mask usage among students, educators and staff. Masks will be required in all settings.
- Density reductions in classrooms when possible. That means if classrooms can't actively achieve 6 feet of distancing among individuals, classroom sizes should be reduced or social distancing should be done in other settings.(Is this like a carbon tax offset? I mean, can we have a pep rally 1st hour and then be really, really, really spaced out the rest of the day?)
- Schools should evaluate their ventilation systems.
- School districts should continue to offer virtual learning that is on an equal standing with instruction that is offered in-person.(Lowest common denominator wins again)
- School districts should continue to regularly review COVID-19 incidence rate maps to determine the spread in their local communities.(For what purpose? There are higher numbers now than when you scared everybody to death in August.)
COVID-19 mitigation measures should also be followed not just in classrooms, but on school buses, in hallways and other student settings. Beshear said that means
school districts should not be allowing students to move around and mix with other classrooms.(Is there a middle or high school in the state currently doing this?)
