ST. GEORGE, Utah — Schoolchildren in Washington County are likely to notice some significant changes in their schools as they return to in-person classes Thursday.
Schools will have directional markers on the floors to guide students and remind them to keep a safe distance from one another. Teachers and students will be required to wear face coverings throughout each school day, and there will be different seating arrangements in cafeterias at lunchtime.
Not all students will be required to attend their classes in person, as online options are also available.
Washington County School District spokesman Steven Dunham said he hopes the return of in-person classes will prove beneficial for students' education and well-being.
"We get into education because we want to help children, we want to help students, and we hate to see them suffer, we hate to see them struggle. We want to help them learn, so we know that, emotionally, it's been so hard to be away from their friends, to be away from their classmates, to be away from the school for this long," Dunham said in an interview with FOX 13.
The Washington County School District plans to enforce mask requirements as they would with dress code violations. Students who are sick or showing signs of COVID-19 infections are required
to stay home.
Extracurricular activities such as football games will also resume in Washington County this week.
