PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS/WVAH) —

Students attending in-person classes in Putnam County this year will see a bit of a delay to start their day. 

Putnam County Schools announced Wednesday it is delaying the start time of the school day for all schools by 30 minutes for the 2020-21 school year, according to a news release. School dismissal times will remain the same.

For example, if a student usually boards a bus at 6:30 a.m., they will now do so at 7 a.m., and if they are typically dropped off at 7:30 a.m., they should now be dropped off at 8 a.m.

Officials said the move is to ensure faculty and staff have adequate time to socially distance students upon arrival, serve them breakfast and provide extra time to sanitize and prepare for the day.