LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Fayette County Public Schools is getting ready to start bringing back outdoor athletics and extra-curricular activities in phases. Of course, students can expect things to look very different, as officials say health and safety is a priority.
On Monday, June 29, practice will resume at the high schools for fall sports. This includes cheerleading, cross country, dance, football, golf, soccer and volleyball. Middle school sports and other high school sports will resume on July 6.
A task force made up of district leaders, school principals, athletic directors, trainers and coaches has developed detailed plans and safety procedures in order for these activities to resume.
Some of the safety measures include making sure there's enough space for athletes to meet social distancing guidelines, adding outdoor sanitizing stations and installing signs for designated workout areas around campus and for drop off and pick up points to avoid people crowding in one spot.
“It’s no contact. It’s conditioning. You’re going to see a lot of running. We’re not even going to have at that point students in the weight rooms yet,” said James McMillin, Chief of High Schools and Secondary Programs for the school district. “We really want to get them back and get them acclimated to the new guidelines, to the new safety measures. Obviously, it’s going to be different and it’s going to take some time to teach some of those.”
As activities resume, officials say they’re going to have to be flexible, so guidelines are still being finalized. In the meantime, families and students are asked to monitor their health and follow state and local health guidelines. Also, if families don’t feel comfortable coming back when the times comes, they won’t be penalized.
You can learn more about the new guidelines and safety measures by visiting the Fayette County Public Schools’ website.
