New guidelines the Kentucky Department of Education released Monday offer a clearer picture of what learning will look like for special education students this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The stakes for reopening schools next month are high, with Kentucky’s case total on Sunday climbing to almost 1,000 – its highest single-day increase.

Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday outlined the consequences for schools if virus cases aren’t brought under control.

“I need to see us start turning this tide around or we’ll have to look at recommendations for schools because we can’t have our children and our teachers going into really difficult situations,” he said, urging Kentuckians to wear masks in public and limit informal gatherings to no more than 10 people.

The spike in cases comes as local school leaders move ahead with their plans for reopening schools in August.

Bowling Green Independent School District students will return in-person Aug. 10, albeit at half capacity and with alternating schedules for the first two school weeks. BGISD is also offering students a virtual academy option.

Warren County Public Schools are set to reopen Aug. 12 with in-person and virtual learning options. During a Facebook Live event the district held Wednesday, Director of Special Education Michelle Blick said staff are training and determining what students’ schedules will look like based on which option they choose.

Regardless of whether they attend in-person or online, Blick said, “Our special education teachers and staff are still going to provide our students with a free, appropriate public education as best as we can and as reasonably as we can.”

The new guidance released from the state Department of Education is divided into four broad sections: reopening considerations; special education questions and answers; preschool questions and answers; and resources.

Gretta Hylton, associate commissioner in KDE’s Office of Special Education and Early Learning, explained the guidance during a Superintendent Advisory Council meeting, a news release said.

She stressed that a student’s Individual Education Plan should not be altered simply due to the nature of the pandemic.

“A student’s needs don’t change as a result of this. The district is still responsible for providing that offer of free, appropriate public education,” she said, referring to an element of the federal law that governs special education.

The guidance comes with a new set of requirements and considerations for staff who assist students with a variety of tasks.

For example, staff who assist a student in tracing a letter – referred to as hand-over-hand assistance – must wear gloves, surgical masks and face shields, the guidance document said. The same requirements apply to feeding students. Gloves for the students themselves aren’t required, and students may also not be required to wear a mask, dependent on certain sensory or health conditions they might have.

The guidelines go further when it comes to assisting students with hygiene needs.

“When attending to the hygiene needs of students, staff must wear gloves in addition to both a surgical mask and a face shield. Face shields alone do not provide enough protection from the aerosols produced by the nose and mouth. When assisting students with toileting, staff also may consider the use of a surgical gown. Students should continue to wear face masks while staff attend to their hygiene needs unless the student is exempt from wearing a mask,” the document said.

– The full document can be read online with this story at bgdailynews.com.