POCATELLO — Pocatello/Chubbuck School District has come up with a plan for reopening schools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials released a draft of their “Roadmap for the 2020-2021 School Year” this week, and are asking community members to review and then share their thoughts about the plan that would send students back to school on Aug. 24.

People can access the plan at bit.ly/32hJmUd and provide feedback at bit.ly/32fXMEw. The district is accepting public comments through Monday, and plans to present the final Roadmap to the Board of Trustees for action at their Tuesday meeting.

“The PCSD 25 leadership team has been working on the plan for fall since school ended on May 28, 2020,” district spokeswoman Courtney Fisher wrote in an email response to the Journal. “Our goal is to keep our staff and learners safe in school and moving forward in their learning.”

The draft plan is flexible, allowing the district to make adjustments as needed depending on the spread of COVID-19.

When there is little to no spread, officials say they would hold regular classes and simply focus on prevention. If there is minimal to moderate spread, they would move to a modified traditional or hybrid model of schooling. In the event of substantial spread, the district would turn to remote learning, which could include targeted, short-term or extended closures.

“Movement between categories 1, 2, 3 will be determined by our local health agencies,” Fisher wrote. “We are in daily contact with the Southeastern Idaho Public Health Department as we work to develop and finalize our plans for the fall.”

The district is planning to issue a Chromebook to each student at the beginning of the year, which can be used in school and for remote learning, officials said.

Under the draft Roadmap, the district would require all staff members to wear masks or face shields and encourage students to do the same.

In addition, the district would install sneeze guards in the main offices and keep hand sanitizer readily available. Officials say they would also focus on preventative measures, including using signage, communication and education to help fight the spread of germs, ask parents to take their children’s temperatures before they send them to school, and minimize large gatherings.

District officials say they would adhere to Idaho High School Activities Association guidelines when it comes to activities, athletic events and practices.

Fisher says their draft plan includes physical distancing, hand washing, symptoms screening and other measures, like masks, that can help reduce the risk of transmission.

“Until there is a vaccine, these preventive actions are important even when transmission rates in a community are low. Employing these strategies, particularly when high compliance with recommendations is achieved, can help protect students and staff and may help avoid frequent, and potentially more disruptive, school dismissals and closures,” Fisher wrote. “This will require a unified effort among all stakeholders for it to be successful.”