Education department releases guidance for schools

The New Mexico Public Education Department has released guidance for the upcoming school year, including a regional approach and a requirement for social distancing and face coverings for all students and staff.

A message from Education Secretary Ryan Stewart notes while state measures that included a three-week closure of schools followed by a transition to online instruction helped flatten the curve early in the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains “profound uncertainty” about the pandemic’s impact on the 2020-21 school year.

“This will not be easy, but it will be worth it,” Stewart said. “While this year will undoubtedly look and feel different than any that has come before, the brilliance, curiosity and resilience of our children will serve as beacons of hope amid ongoing turbulence.”

The plan is posted at: webnew.ped.state.nm.us

A phased reentry approach, created in a partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory, will rely on up-to-date epidemiological models and put regions into three phases of operation:

• Full reentry, with all students eligible to be in classes up to five days per week

• Hybrid, which caps capacity to 50% or whatever allows 6 feet of social distancing for each student, and has students not in the building engaging in remote learning.

• Full remote learning, with limited groups eligible for in-person instruction if feasible.

When overall state data indicate it is safe to move forward to a full school schedule, all five regions will be able to do so. The preference is to move together as a state to the full re-entry designation, but if an individual region’s data suggests its opening would be unsafe, that region may be held back until numbers improve.

Curry and Roosevelt counties both belong to the Southeast Region, along with Quay, Guadalupe, Lincoln, De Baca, Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties.

The other regions are Northeast, Northwest, Southwest and Metro — comprised of Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia and Torrance counties.

Eight entry requirements noted on the plan include:

• A requirement all districts can operate under at least hybrid guidelines as detailed in the plan.

• A surveillance and rapid testing program for all staff.

• Adherence to social distancing requirements of each phase.

• Avoidance of large group gatherings.

• Face coverings for all students and staff, including transportation. Exceptions are granted while eating, drinking and exercising, and in limited cases where a covering is unsafe for medical reasons.

• A daily staff screening that includes a temperature check and review of symptoms, along with a plan for contact tracing. While not required, a contact tracing plan for students is recommended.

• Meals must be provided during all phases. Under remote learning, school buses can function as meal delivery vehicles. For in-person meal service, schools are recommended to use disposable plates and utensils, designate proper distancing through floor markings and extend meal periods if needed.

• On school buses, students may sit up to two per bus seat but all reasonable steps should be taken to limit seats to one student each.

Districts also are advised they will need to consider the needs of both students and staff that may fall into high-risk categories, and provide processes to accommodate them.