The Ark City and Winfield school boards voted Monday night to delay the start of the school year until after Labor Day due to the coronavirus pandemic, following the guidance of Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order that was issued but voided after the Kansas State Board of Education failed to support it via a 5-5 tie last week.
Both meetings were streamed online.
Both schools were originally scheduled to start Aug. 19 and will now be looking at a first of classes beginning Sept. 9 for all students.
Cowley County Public Health Officer Thomas Langer, who was present for the Ark City USD 470 meeting, told the board he agreed with the motion.
“I think that’s a smart plan,” Langer said.
Langer told the board the City-Cowley County Health Department has seen 11 children in the county test positive since the pandemic began and that many of those positives involved children who participated in traveling sports leagues.
Cowley County cases have increased by 12 and active cases have increased by 10 since Friday.
The City-Cowley County Health Department reported Monday afternoon a total 140 positive COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. Active cases have risen to 53 and recoveries now total 85.
The health department reported the second death in the county connected to the virus on July 21.
Since a national emergency proclamation was issued by the White House on March 13, 2,515 people have been tested in the county. Cowley County has a population of 34,908 people as of July 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Ark City school board members agreed the situation is fluid and that changes are expected. They also agreed to form a task force that more meetings will be needed as the start of school draws nearer — especially in regards to specifics on how conducting both in-person, online and even “hybrid” teaching will work.
The Ark City school district says it has 120 face shields and is awaiting 550 more. The district says it has a surplus of cleaning supplies and is also awaiting more plexiglass screens to install throughout schools.
The Winfield USD 465 board passed a readiness plan that encompasses bus pickup protocols, cleanliness and social distancing guidelines, along with several other preventive measures.
Last week, the Winfield board passed both remote and in-person options for enrollment.
Both districts will also administer temperature checks and require face coverings for in-person school mentioned in the governor’s executive order.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Monday 26,172 total cases across the state since March.
Hospitalizations have increased to 1,644 and statewide deaths have risen to 335.
Negative tests number 252,764.
Kay County reports 188 total cases confirmed so far, with nine of those deaths. The state of Oklahoma now reports 32,686 cases statewide and 496 deaths.
