Polk County asking for input on what upcoming school year will look like

LAKELAND, Fla. - When kids go back to school, how are they going to be kept safe?

Polk County is asking what parents and others think with an online survey. They got 30,000 responses in the first two weeks.

On Thursday, school officials held a virtual press conference to talk about what could happen.

“Fifty percent of students come to school on Monday and Wednesday, the other fifty percent on Tuesday and Thursday,” said Polk’s Chief Academic Officer Michelle Townly. “Then all of our students and teachers would be engaged with e-learning on Friday.”

Some parents say going back to class in August would be fine. Others say the district should hold off a little longer to see what happens with the pandemic. Still, others support going to total on-line learning for a while.

Transportation is another issue. “Our drivers would have to wear masks,” commented Assistant Superintendent of Schools Rob Davis. “Their temperature would have to be taken before they got on the school bus, and they would clean that bus post and pre-trip.”

Kids might have to be spaced out in their seats as well to social distance.

Masks seem to be the thorniest issue. Could parents send their own masks from home? Would schools provide them?

Is the right decision to require every kid to wear one? Maybe not. “If a child has asthma, maybe it’s not so great you wear a mask,” said Townly.

No plans have been put in place, but school officials said the results of the survey will be taken into consideration before anything is decided.

The deadline to participate in the survey is Friday, June 11. If you want to give your opinion, click here.