Taking It To The Streets: 3rd Quarter 2020

8/14/2020 (Permalink)

As fall approaches, many are wondering: Will students be able to return to school or will virtual learning continue for the foreseeable future?

Way back in mid-March, the governors of Maryland and Pennsylvania announced the statewide closures of public schools due to COVID-19. Teachers, parents, and students adjusted to new methods of virtual learning and stayed at home for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Now, as fall approaches, many are wondering: Will students be able to return to school or will virtual learning continue for the foreseeable future?

Will Students Return to the Classroom?

A recent article in the Baltimore Sun, titled “Superintendents say schools in Central Maryland unlikely to return to normal in the fall”, explains the dilemma that Maryland schools are facing as superintendents of Baltimore-area schools consider several options for the fall. By all accounts, the likelihood of students returning to “in-person classes five days a week” is slim (Bowie, 2020). Pittsburgh Public Schools and some counties in Maryland have decided that the fall will be entirely virtual. However, some schools will offer a hybrid method with a mix of in-person and online classes for the fall. 

Schools Consider Different Plans

Similar hybrid models, in varying degrees, are under consideration in the ranks of regional colleges and universities. Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania will not offer in-person classes this fall, opting for entirely remote learning. However, the University of Maryland and the University of Pittsburgh will both reopen campus this fall, providing a mix of in-person and online classes. Additionally, both schools have communicated that they will have extensive safety measures in place, including mandatory mask wearing and social distancing as well as isolation facilities, designed to protect students on campus (coronavirus.pitt.edu, 2020; umd.edu, 2020). But the million-dollar question is, do the safety precautions go far enough?

SERVPRO Can Help

Regardless of the model adopted by the schools, SERVPRO has a solution that fits. SERVPRO’s “Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned” program can be implemented into schools’ reopening plans. By using the CSC program, schools will receive a thorough, hospital-grade clean that adheres to the Centers for Disease Control‘s guidelines, using EPA approved disinfectants. The cleaning targets both frequently contacted touchpoints, such as desktops, stair handrails, and chair backs, and less frequently contacted touchpoints, which include the backs of desks and bathroom stall walls, alike. After receiving CSC cleaning, SERVPRO provides both physical and digital signage that can be displayed in an effort to show students, parents, and faculty that the school has received the highest level of disinfectant cleaning and is “Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned”. Schools can receive defensive CSC cleanings prior to the start of the school year or, if the school has a confirmed case of COVID-19 during the fall, SERVPRO will be standing by to quickly disinfect the building. 

Amidst all the uncertainty that this fall will bring, ensure that your school receives the highest standard of clean by making SERVPRO’s “Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned” program a part of your reopening plan.