Calif. issues guidance for schools: ‘Students and staff should be wearing facial coverings’

California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said in a Monday press briefing that new guidance is available for schools reopening as the coronavirus continues to be a threat.

Across the state, the school experience will get an overhaul so "at the end of the day, even if it looks a little different, everyone is getting a high-quality education," Thurmond said.

The guidance suggests students be spaced six feet apart and have their temperatures taken before entering the campus.

It also recommends "students and staff should be wearing facial coverings," Thurmond said.

Public schools in California educate more than six million students and Gov. Gavin Newsom said last Friday the state will provide personal protective equipment for schools including no-touch thermometers, hand sanitizer, face shields for every teacher, cloth face coverings for staff and students, and tight-fitting N95 masks for health care professionals in schools.

Informed by state, county and federal health experts, the hefty document released online provides guidance and suggestions and isn't a mandate. The superintendent said it includes flexibility for districts to create school experiences best suited to their communities.

"There are no mandates within this document.," he said. "There’s no one size fits all approach."

To ensure students can keep a distance from one another, Thurmond said schools will need to make use of their entire footprint, holding classes in cafeterias and gymnasiums.

The guidance also encourages schools to use outdoor areas when weather permits, calling for "maximizing outdoor time for children in accordance with schedules to rotate use and allow for cleaning of any shared materials or equipment."

What's more, the guidance provides suggestions for limiting the number of students on campus such as providing in-person instruction for kindergarten through third grade students, who are still learning to read, and a mix of in-person and virtual instruction for fourth through sixth grades. Another scenario has half the school meeting in classrooms with their teachers Mondays and Wednesdays and the other half on Tuesdays and Thursdays and everyone at home on Fridays.

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Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.