Beshear said sending thousands of kids back to school when the virus isn't under control isn't the right thing to do for students or faculty. This followed a KEA statement on Friday recommending that schools avoid in-person classes until the statewide positivity rate drops below 4 percent for 21 straight days.
New Information:
On Tuesday afternoon, Paducah Public Schools Superintendent Donald Shively said he and others with the district have been in constant communication, and have requested and received local and regional data so they can analyze the local impact of the virus compared to statewide data.
Shively said they are "exploring every option regarding how and when to start school." He said the school district will announce their specific plan no later than Monday, which is when the board of education is next scheduled to meet.
Regardless of the teaching method, Shively said he is confident that teachers and staff are prepared.
Board members and administrators at Ballard County Schools said Tuesday they are still are collecting information before making a decision about when in-person instruction might begin. They have met once to discuss it, and Kentucky superintendents were scheduled for a webcast with the state interim commissioner of education and the lieutenant governor on Tuesday afternoon.
“We understand that some of our neighboring districts already have announced their decisions, and we respect that,” said Dr. Casey Allen, Ballard’s superintendent. “Some of them are larger, some smaller, but we all have our own unique situations that factor into our decisions. We want to make sure that we do what is right for our students, staff, and families, and we will let everyone know as soon as that decision has been made.”
Any changes from the Aug. 26 first day for in-person classes that was approved at the July board meeting would require action from the Board of Education. The next regular meeting will be Monday, Aug. 17.
Information from Monday:
McCracken County Schools Superintendent Steven Carter told West Kentucky Star Monday they will be use their Plan C - Virtual Distance Plan when the school year begins on August 24.
"While we're disappointed that we won't get to see our students in person, we're ready for this endeavor. We've been planning for this since last March and we have a solid foundation planned for all of our students and family," Carter said on Twitter.
Prior to the governor's press conference, Carter said a recent staff poll showed nearly 100 percent of them wanted to return to in-person classes, but there were some safety concerns.
Marshall County Schools Superintendent Trent Lovett said it's likely his district will follow the governor's advice.
Lovett said, "At least we now know and we can plan in that direction as opposed to us coming to school for a couple of weeks or a week and then have an outbreak and then going the other direction."
He said he believes in-person learning is "absolutely" the best for students, but he will touch base with school board members to find out how they feel so parents can be informed as quickly as possible. The board will have to give official approval at the August 20 meeting.
Calloway County Schools Superintendent Tres Settle said the governor's announcement is, "a setback to months of planning to allow children to return to school, but will not deter us in our efforts to provide the very best education possible for our students."
He will be consulting with board members about the district's options for beginning the year on a distance learning platform, while hopefully keeping the start date of August 24. He acknowledged the frustrations of parents who must constantly adapt their plans based on these decisions, and said the district will share information as quickly as possible.
Lyon County Schools announced on social media that their school year will begin with non-traditional instruction on August 24. They advised parents to look for more information soon.
Livingston County Schools announced they will comply with the recommendation, so in-person classes will not begin on August 19. Students will still have their first day of school on August 12, utilizing home study classes.
Murray Independent School District Superintendent Coy Samons announced Monday evening that he will recommend to the board of education that classes begin August 24 as scheduled, but using online learning. He said the district will provide more information as soon as possible.
