Warren De La Salle goes high-tech to fight COVID-19

Students will be required to wear masks

WARREN, Mich. – The state of Michigan has left back-to-school plans up to each individual school or district.

Warren’s De La Salle Collegiate has had a team working all summer and consulting experts to come up with a 36-page plan.

VIEW: Michigan school district return plans for 2020-21

When the students return this week, it’s going to be a different experience. Each grade will enter through a different door. Before students enter the building they’ll have to fill out several questions on an app and be wearing a mask.

As they enter, thermographic cameras, which can assess the temperatures of 30 students at a time. If a student has a high temperature, an alarm will sound.

READ: Michigan announces $65M in CARES Act funding for schools amid coronavirus pandemic

“If you have a high temperature, we take them immediately to the isolation room where there is a medical person on staff throughout the whole school day,” Director of Advancement Greg Esler said.

The school brought in doctors and a logistics expert to help them work on the plan. Flow will be controlled and directional.

Students will not be allowed to hang out at the lockers. Students will only be allowed to go to their lockers twice a day, to put a coat in or take it out.

READ: Here’s what Michigan school districts have planned for the fall amid the pandemic

Students have to keep their books and laptops in their backpacks all day. Classes are going to 80 minute blocks and there will be permanent assigned, socially distanced seating.

Cleaning will be done with an EPA-approved virus-killing spray after each class.

“We want to keep the students and staff safe and healthy, that’s what it’s all about,” Esler said.

READ: More return to school coverage


About the Authors

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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