COLLIERVILLE, Tennessee — "Nothing is off the table, we are forward thinking as best as we can as we approach the new school year," Mario Hogue with Collierville Schools said.
It's a week before a new school year like no other in Collierville.
"We are limiting mobility as much as possible to mitigate the spread of the virus' potential," Hogue said.
For months, those with Collierville Schools planned - and tweaked - their safety protocols ahead of the district beginning instruction next Monday.
Those in middle and high school will begin the year with a mix of in-person and virtual learning. And while online learning is available for elementary students, the district said there's enough space for some of those students to be in the classroom five days a week.
"They'll be frequent hand washing throughout the day with students. There'll be PPE in the classroom for not only the teacher, but the students; hand sanitizer, we are going to be socially distancing," Hogue said.
Hogue said the district's protocols also include a required daily wellness check for workers & parents, limits on congregating and sharing items, regular deep cleanings, and a nurse & designated health clinic for each school.
"It's really going to be bare-boned because it's really about mitigating that spread on less surfaces, that not only the student, but the nurses are touching, is really the best thing," Hogue said.
Those with the district are also realistic about the potential COVID-19 risks and the needed response in place.
"We know that there is going to be a not only a student but potentially a staff, so how do we work with some of those communication pieces, reaching out to our parents and staff," Hogue said.
Collierville Schools are finalizing the contact tracing policy for who would be isolated and tested if a student or teacher tests positive.
"Just because you have one case does not mean you are going to close a classroom or a school entirely," Hogue said.
A Le Bonheur Children's Hospital spokesperson said Monday the facility is prepared with a designated floor should there be an uptick in children with COVID-19 who need hospitalization, as Mid-South districts reopen with varying levels of in-person instruction.