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. 2019 Apr 6;14:100871. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100871

Table 2.

Within-school and reduced-schedule practices discussed by focus group participants in a study of social distancing practices in US schools, conducted by teleconconference in the summer of 2017.

Within-school practices
Classroom
 Rearrange desks to increase space
 Limit group work
 Institute home room stay
 Restrict student movement in class
 Separate classes into smaller groups and repurpose other spaces in the school
 Move class outdoors
Hallway and bathroom
 Restrict hall movement
 Limit bathroom use
 Limit congestion during arrival and dismissal
 Staffer class start and dismissal times to reduce load in the hall
Schoolyard and recess
 Segregate recess area by class
 Stagger recess times
 Shorten or cancel recess
 Encourage solo physical activity
Cafeteria
 Shut down cafeteria; eat in class
 Segregate cafeteria by class
 Shorten and stagger meal times
Other
 Cancel field trips
 Cancel assemblies
 Limit non-essential staff and visitors
 Educate students and families to maintain distance
 Restrict use of congregation spaces
 Reduce congestion in health office
 Cancel classes with high rates of mixing
 Cancel cross-school transfer for special programs



Reduced-schedule practices
Short school week
Short school day
Dismissal of one grade
Dismissal of one class