As the first day of school gets closer, the staff at a Brooklyn Catholic school is working tirelessly on reopening plans to make sure students can return safely. 

Socially distanced classrooms at St. Ephrem Catholic Academy will soon seat dozens of students when the school welcomes them back on Sept. 9. 

"We're planning on five full days for the students. But students do have an option if they want a virtual academy. They can choose to come part-time here, part-time at home. So, they have options,” said Principal Craig Mercado. 

Out of the 260 students at the school, Mercado says 85% have opted for in-person learning, about 10% will be online, and the other 5% will do a hybrid model. 

For students coming back to school, Mercado says they’ll see some changes in hopes of preventing the spread of the coronavirus. 

"They will be temperature-checked by a thermal monitor, there are hand sanitizers throughout the building in every room. We have vents in the room to circulate the air, air purifiers,” said Mercado. 

He says class sizes will now be smaller and students will eat lunch in the gym to help with social distancing measures. 

When it comes to staff and students potentially testing positive for COVID-19, he says the Brooklyn Diocese will decide on how to move forward.