WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Wednesday marked the first day of school for students at Berean Christian School in suburban West Palm Beach, which is among one of the first schools in Florida to have children head back to classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
RELATED: Safety precautions at Berean Christian School
The school has preschoolers through twelfth grade, and students and staff are seeing quite a few changes as they return to campus.
Students can attend school for half a day, a full day, or continue distance learning.
"Right now, we are running across the board at about 42% want to be here all day, about 32% want to be here half a day, and the remainder want to be on virtual," the school’s headmaster, William Dupere, told WPTV last week.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Back To School
Students are split up into morning and afternoon shifts for class, but they may attend school for a full day, which includes half a day of enrichment activities.
Classes are capped at 50% to allow for social distancing. Masks and temperature checks are required for students and staff, and there are enhanced cleaning procedures on campus.
One parent told WPTV on Wednesday her son was excited to get back to school, and she's comfortable with the safety measure in place.
ONE PARENT TELLS US HER SON WAS EXCITED TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL.. AND SHE'S COMFORTABLE WITH THE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE.
"He's been here since kindergarten, and the teachers take pride in making sure the school is clean and they take pride in making sure the kids are safe," Crystal Watson said.
Dupere said Berean Christian School has spent $20,000 on personal protective equipment to keep students and staff members safe.
Parents dropping off kids for the first day of school at @bereanwpb with many new #covid procedures in place @WPTV @FOX29WFLX pic.twitter.com/c8VCiWq8dv
— Stephanie Susskind (@StephanieWPTV) August 5, 2020