LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) on Tuesday outlined steps it’s taking “to maintain a healthy learning environment for staff and students when they return to the classroom next week,” according to a release from the district.

As previously announced, all staff and students will be required to wear masks inside school buildings when classes start on Aug. 11, regardless of vaccination status. If a student doesn’t have a mask, one will be provided, JCPS said.

The district said it has invested $60 million in renovations at dozens of schools this year, including new windows, roofs, HVAC systems and entryways.

“We are committed to providing the safest, healthiest environment possible for our students, teachers and staff,” said Chris Perkins, JCPS chief operating officer. Perkins laid out other steps the district is taking, like:

• Custodial staff at each school will conduct cleanings overnight while disinfectant sprayers will be used throughout the day to sanitize high contact surfaces
• Hand sanitizer will be available throughout school buildings
• Classrooms will be set up with desks facing the same way and students in assigned seats with 3 feet of separation as much as possible. Students will also be assigned seats in the cafeteria to help with contact tracing if there are positive cases
• Schools are encouraged to use other areas of the building and campus, such as the gym, classrooms or outside, when possible, to reduce the number of students in the cafeteria at the same time
• In hallways and other common areas, students are encouraged to keep moving and allow space between each other

Manager of the district’s Health Services Dr. Eva Stone said guidelines and recommendations from health experts are frequently updated and that JCPS follows the most current health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

There will be a nurse in every building this year, Stone added, and JCPS will continue contact tracing. She said students, families or staff who are close contacts to positive cases will be notified as quickly as possible.

“I’m proud of the system we’ve established for notifying everyone in a school about a positive case in their building, including a dashboard listing cases by school on our website,” Stone said. “We will continue to do that to be fully transparent and provide as much information as possible to our families and staff.”