PLANO, Texas — Updated at 10:43 p.m. with more information from the school district.
Just a month ago, Plano schools were celebrating seniors in a pandemic. Thursday Plano ISD revealed how they are preparing for the fall of more uncertainty by releasing a 37-page return-to-school plan.
The move from Plano comes just days after the Texas Education Agency released their guidance for schools for the coming year.
The plan is a detailed look at what life and learning may look like for the district, whether students decide on face-to-face learning or a virtual application the district is calling PISD School at Home.
Parents and students have until July 16th to decide whether they want face-to-face learning or at-home virtual learning. The district stresses that the deadline is to help the district for planning out resources and staff levels. Students are able to switch back to virtual learning if they initially elected to attend school.
The plan goes over student handwashing and sanitizing expectations at school, how many students can be in a restroom, bus protocols and even the dress code for virtual learners.
And it also goes over the larger issues, including stipulations that state "students and staff are expected to wear face coverings during school hours" and "all students/staff will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and individuals with symptoms will be separated and sent home."
All students will have Chromebooks, learning devices and WiFi hotspots, according to the plan.
Teachers and students in physical classrooms will have to take everything home at the end of the school day in the event of a school closure. And students joining virtually can be marked absent if they are not logged in on time.
Jamie Jackson is a parent to a 9th grader and serves on a parent advisory board. She, like many parents, are on the fence about whether to send their kids to school.
"I would probably at least need to have a 75% confidence level. It could be that I'm a picky parent. That's my precious cargo," Jackson said about sending her child back to school.
Some parents said they are uncomfortable with mandates for face coverings. Other parents would like to see strict enforcement to ensure a safe environment. They would like to see temperature checks at the door, not just hand-sanitizing stations.
"Some of the wording needs to be a little more stringent. Some of it comes across as a recommendation," she said.
Jackson says she wants temperature checks and more decisive action against COVID-19.
WFAA asked Plano ISD about what it would take for the district to force a school to close due to COVID-19. The district is still vetting and mapping that process out.
Plano ISD is scheduled to meet with parent and teacher advisory groups next week to discuss the plan. The district spokesperson said the plan is only in its first draft and could take on several iterations leading up to the first day of school.
The district stresses that the guidelines outlined in the plan are subject to change.