Plum School District officials have added another in-person school day to the students’ weekly schedule.

The current plan is a hybrid educational model with students in two groups.

Students in Group A are in school Monday and Tuesday, and Group B is in school Thursday and Friday. All students are remote learning Wednesdays.

Those schedules change starting Sept. 28, with Group A going to classes Monday through Wednesday.

Group B will be in school Wednesday through Friday starting the week of Oct. 5.

The schedule continues in that new format until other changes are made.

The district’s flex online option remains unchanged. Parents can still choose whether to send their children to class or continue distance learning.

Superintendent Brendan Hyland announced the changes via letter to district families.

“The district fully recognizes and appreciates the importance of having our students back in school, and the impact their absence is having on our families when they are not,” Hyland wrote. “We continue to balance this with the reality of the potential negative consequences that covid-19 could have on our community.”

School Board President Mike Devine said Wednesdays had been scheduled for deep cleaning, but the use of a new product has made those efforts obsolete.

He said the new cleaning tool from Bactronix was described as a nontoxic and environmentally safe disinfectant. Once sprayed, it provides “a 30-day antibacterial protective barrier on all the sprayed surfaces,” according to Hyland’s letter.

The letter also said the facilities department will be trained on proper application strategies prior to the aforementioned changes taking place. He noted the district continues to follow state Department of Education and Department of Health guidelines.

Devine, who has two children in district schools and one in preschool, said the schedule change is another step to safely having students return on a full-time basis.

“You can’t replace face-to-face interaction with teachers and students,” Devine said. “To get them back one extra day is a start. Hopefully, we can add more quickly.”

More information on how the district is handling the pandemic and other activities can be found online at pbsd.net.

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