The Karns City Area School District is asking parents to decide by Friday whether they want their children to attend classes in person or online when classes begin Aug. 26.

A school reopening plan letter posted on the district website Tuesday asks parents wishing to enroll their children in the virtual instruction program to submit applications by Friday, but that is not a firm deadline, said Superintendent Eric Ritzert.

“Obviously, that is a fluid decision,” Ritzert said.

Parents can choose online instruction after Friday, but the deadline was set to allow the district to schedule classes as soon as possible.

“The sooner we know, the better we can develop schedules. The deadline helps with planning purposes,” Ritzert said.

Parents sending their children to the traditional in-person instruction five days a week do not have to notify the district, he said.

The virtual instruction program is an expanded version of the Karns City cyber academy, which was used for remediation and enrichment, he said.

The reopening health and safety plan, approved by the school board Monday, follows Gov. Tom Wolf's phased reopening plan.

The letter said there are no strategies that completely eliminate the risk of transmitting COVID-19 within a school population, but the goal is to keep transmission as low as possible to safely continue school activities.

Students, teachers and staff will have to wear face masks covering the nose and mouth while in school. Coaches, athletes and sporting event spectators must wear masks unless they are outside and can consistently maintain 6 feet of social distancing. Students can remove their masks when they are spaced 6 feet apart and those who don't wear masks should social distance 6 feet from others.

Students who have disabilities or conditions that prevent then from removing their masks by themselves do not have to wear masks.

Masks will be required if the state makes them mandatory.

Buses will be limited to two students per seat and siblings riding the same bus should sit together.

Parents will be asked to perform health checks on their children every day before they leave for school. Parents should check for a temperature higher than 100.4, coughing, shortness of breath, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, loss of taste, chills, head or muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and excessive fatigue.

The plan calls for sanitizing frequently touched surfaces.

All employees are required to conduct daily health checks before reporting to work and those exhibiting symptoms should not go to work.

Students and employees who exhibit symptoms during the school day will be quarantined. Parents will be asked to pick up their children and employees will be asked to go home.