(KLZA)-- The Falls City Board of Education Monday evening approved having all Falls City Public School Buildings operating under the school districts Orange plan safety protocols beginning Monday, November  16.

Superintendent Tim Heckenlively told MSC News that partially based on changes to the Southeast District Health Department Health dial, District 56 will increase the precautions in school to hopefully, help slow the spread of COVID-19. 

Changes include all students and staff wearing masks or face coverings in all buildings and on school buses. The new Nebraska School Activities guidelines for winter sports will also be followed.

The changes will also have an effect on meals served at the District 56 school buildings.  Barrier dividers will be added to the round tables at the Middle School and High School and more room will be utilized for spacing out students for lunches including gymnasiums, the cafeteria and classrooms.  Superintendent  Heckenlively said the district has been dealing with quarantining of students and staff as well as some COVID-19 cases for several weeks.  Some of the quarantines are school related, others are community based where contacts have occurred outside the school district.  Currently there is a significant number of  students and staff quarantined.

The hope is for the new measures will lead to a decrease in school-based quarantines once the mask requirement goes into effect. 

There has been a surge in COVID-19 cases in Southeast Nebraska and in particular in Falls City in recent weeks which has led to the changes being made.