A screen grab of a Facebook video from the Logan City School Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. The board discussed a return to a full, five day schedule.

LOGAN – The vote was unanimous Tuesday by the Logan City School Board to return to a full, five-days-a-week schedule for all schools within the Logan City School District, beginning Monday, September 14th. Much like the Cache County School District, Logan schools will let out 45 minutes earlier than normal to provide teachers time to develop online curriculum and make themselves available for students who may need help.

Logan City School District Superintendent Frank Schofield explains the return to full school proposal before the Logan School Board on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.

The district has been operating on half-day schedules in an attempt to limit the number of students in classrooms and to develop the necessary habits of sanitation, mask wearing and cleanliness to keep students and staff healthy.

“I can’t emphasize it enough how our students and staff have done an outstanding job adjusting to the realities of COVID-19,” exclaimed district superintendent Frank Schofield. “They really have been phenomenal with identifying how they can each support one another and in keeping our school and our community safe and healthy, and provide a positive environment at school.

Our school and our community infection rates suggest that the things we are doing as a community are helping, they are making a difference and they are working to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

Jessica Zsiray, a 7th and 8th grade science teacher at Mount Logan Middle School, cautioned the board not to relax any safety measures as more students will walk the halls and share cafeterias together.

“I think it would be good to ensure these members of our school community,” Zsiray said, “that we will be committed to increase school safety as we are increasing our risk.”

Mount Logan Middle School science teacher Jessica Zsiray addresses the Logan School Board on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.

The school board confirmed that while more students will be attending school together, all safety measures will continue to be in force, with the exception of physical distancing.

According to the Bear River Health Department, the current seven day rolling average for positive cases of coronavirus in Cache County is 14. Since school began, there have been a total of nine recorded cases of COVID-19 in the Logan City School District: three were students at Logan High, one was a student at Woodruff Elementary and five were staff. Two of those cases were actually recorded before school began (but were still in quarantine at the start of school) and another was an online student who never physically attended a class.

There are currently five active cases in the district and four have recovered. Schofield told the board that there have been 18 cases in the Cache County School District, with no more than four cases in any one school.

“I’ve also been so impressed with our schools, and our students and our staff members,” said Board President Ann Geary. “I see children in their masks and it’s no big deal. I see pictures from Logan High administrators of students doing their thing, and they’re in masks.

They’re at a game and they’re in their masks. I’ve been so impressed with that. I think we, as a board, need to share that commitment.”

Schofield explained to the board that a classroom of students will need to quarantine if three or more cases are reported in an individual class over a two week span. An entire school will need to quarantine if 15 or more cases are reported over a two week span. The quarantine will last for two weeks.

Logan School Board President Ann Geary addresses the school board as they begin their meeting at Logan High School on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.

If an entire school needs to shut down for a quarantine, classes will take place online and then resume in a hybrid model until a semester break. In a hybrid model, half the student body would attend on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the other half attending on Thursdays and Fridays, with Wednesday serving as a day for teachers and staff to transition.

With the return to a full, five day school schedule, more students will have access to school breakfast and school lunch.

The school board also announced modified plans for Logan High Homecoming festivities, which take place September 14-19. The Homecoming Parade will still take place on Wednesday, Sept. 16, but crowds or groups on floats and trailers will be discouraged. If any parade participants want to hand out candy, the candy will need to be individually wrapped, participants will need to wear a mask and gloves, and hand the candy directly to people along the route (no throwing candy from a vehicle or a float).  The school will still have its Powder Puff game and tie dye activity, but will not have a Homecoming Dance.







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