Public and private schools in Kentucky will all conduct in-person learning to varying degrees next week despite Daviess County moving into the state’s coronavirus Red Zone — which comes with a recommendation to only offer remote learning.
Due to a recent increase in reported daily COVID-19 cases, Daviess County’s seven-day average is now over the 25 per day threshold the state considers the Red Zone.
However, local district officials all said they’ll be resuming — or starting — in-person instruction for various reasons.
One common reason was the very limited number of students and staff who have either tested positive or have quarantined — meaning the schools have not contributed to community spread of the virus. Local health department officials confirmed that was the case earlier this week.
Plus, they cited the need for students to receive face-to-face instruction.
All Healthy at School guidelines — such as wearing masks, distancing and checking temperatures — will continue to be enforced across the county.
Owensboro Public Schools
OPS was the final holdout to return to in-person classes. They were set to begin an A/B schedule Monday, and they’ll continue with those plans.
“We fortunately in our state have gotten guidance from the beginning and it’s evolved over time,” said Superintendent Matthew Constant. “We have followed that to the letter and will be evermore vigilant when we come back to in-person on Monday.”
Constant said they purposefully held off on a return so they could monitor other districts.
“We have been able to learn from other districts on every color on the map,” he said in reference to the state’s map, which includes green, yellow, orange and red zones. “We have talked with other districts who have chosen to go back even in a red status and have learned a lot from them. As long as we aren’t contributing to the community spread problem in our schools, I think we’re going to be just fine with the health and safety factors we have in place. It’s time for teachers to see student’s faces in rooms.”
Daviess County Public Schools
DCPS has used a phased-in approach in returning to the classroom. Only sophomores, juniors and seniors have yet to begin the in-person A/B schedule, but they’ll do so starting Monday.
“Since opening in person school on the A-B hybrid schedule on Sept. 14, our schools have not contributed to the community spread,” Superintendent Matt Robbins said. “Should this change, that would serve as a key metric in making the decision to go to virtual-only school.”
He said the evidence of being partially in school since Sept. 14 weighed heavily in their decision.
“Our school staff and leadership have done a phenomenal job planning and implementing the A/B Hybrid schedule,” Robbins said. “With 20% of our students enrolled in our Virtual Academy, this means that the 80% of our in person students are split equally on the in-person days. Thus, schools are only occupied at a maximum of 40% allowing for strict adherence to social distancing.”
Owensboro Catholic Schools
OCS has been in person five days a week since the first day of school, and nothing is changing for now.
“We are staying in person because we feel that all of our protocols have been working very well — mandatory masking all day, distancing, temperature checks, frequently washing hands, and few if any outside visitors,” said Chief Administrative Officer Keith Osborne. “We are in daily communication with the health department and we would consult with them and others, in making a determination to go all virtual.”
Osborne said students have adapted very well to the strictly enforced protocols, and teachers have been creative in using all spaces available to them to conduct class.
“We will continue to apply all safety measures and protocols and will look to incorporate recommendations from the health department,” he said. “Meanwhile, we believe having students in an environment that we can control and manage is in their best interest.”
Grace Christian Academy
GCA opened this fall as the region’s newest high school, though they only enrolled freshmen this year.
“At GCA, in-person instruction is not just a preference. We feel it is by far the best way to teach, since we can be with our students and know if they understand,” said Chris Holmes, who oversees day-to-day operations as Head of School. “We can also impart more than just facts to them. In-person instruction is worth the effort we are exerting to guard against a COVID-19 outbreak, which would likely necessitate at least temporary virtual instruction.”
