Students attending Father Turcotte School will have to wait a bit longer than others before returning to school.

The Fort McMurray Catholic School District says the school will officially reopen on September 8 while the other 11 schools will have their first day on August 31.

Father Turcotte’s opening is being delayed to ensure all of the COVID-19 related signage and safety measures are in place.

This includes placing hand sanitizing stations at school entrances and classrooms, ensuring rooms are able to abide by physical distancing requirements, and more.

The school was one of three that were impacted by floodwaters during April’s flood – forcing the FMCSD to focus on fixing any damage before ensuring it’s as safe as possible from the virus.

The other two schools which were impacted were Composite High School and Keyano College.

When in-class teaching resumes at Father Turcotte, students in grades 4 to 6 will be required to wear a mask when in common areas such as hallways and buses. They can take them off in class if they’re at a safe distance from others.

Those in grade and below aren’t required to wear a mask but are allowed to if they choose to.