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Updates on back-to-school safety in Dillingham and the Bristol Bay Borough

Izzy Ross/KDLG

School starts on Monday! There are going to be some changes this fall for students, staff, teachers and families. 

Heading into the first week of school, Dillingham and the Bristol Bay Borough have some updates for students and families. 

In Dillingham, all elementary school students will meet their teachers on the upper playground before entering the building. Drop-off begins at 8:00 a.m. At 8:30 a.m. the school will welcome back students and review expectations for the school year.

Read Dillingham's Smart Start plan here

Middle/high school students can be dropped of starting at 8:00 a.m. Students must wear a mask and enter by the main office or the main parking lot. All students will complete a quick temperature check and health screening. Staff will then help the students get their schedule. Then they’ll be able to grab breakfast and go to their first period class for homeroom. Teachers will also discuss this year’s COVID-19 safety precautions with their students.

Parents and guardians should screen their students every day prior to them leaving the house. If a student does not pass the screening process at school, the district says it will work with families to help them navigate the next steps.

Dillingham is also using a closed-campus model until further notice, so students must remain on campus for lunch. The district made the decision under recommendations from the Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation. 

Students at the Bristol Bay Borough School District will start out the school year from home due to construction around the school building. The first day of in-person instruction for the borough will be in mid-October.

Each grade level will have the opportunity to meet with teachers in person until then, although they are not required to attend. In-person meetings also depend on the community’s risk level as outlined in the district’s Smart Start plan. The district is continuing to deliver meals to kids ages 0 – 18. 

The school's Medical Advisory Committee determined today that the district will operate in the medium risk category of its Smart Start plan, though this could change by the time the school opens to in-person instruction in October.

Under the medium risk level, only 50% of students at a time will be physically in school. They will have staggered schedules and students will stay in one classroom, and physical activity will be outside only. Students will eat meals in classrooms or have them delivered to their homes, and the school will have increased cleaning.

 
Contact the author at isabelle@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.

Izzy Ross is the news director at KDLG, the NPR member station in Dillingham. She reports, edits, and hosts stories from around the Bristol Bay region, and collaborates with other radio stations across the state.
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