Grayson County Schools Superintendent Doug Robinson has announced the school district will transition back to virtual instruction on November 9 until at least November 13.
Robinson said the increase in coronavirus cases in the community — since October 27, the county has had 128 cases of the virus confirmed, 16 per day – is the primary reason for transitioning back to a Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) schedule.
Grayson County, this week, has fallen deeper into “red zone” status, signaling a “critical” spread of the virus, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health – As of Thursday, the county has had over 50 daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 confirmed during the course of the last week.
Robinson also notes “staffing challenges” in the district due to 20 staff members being forced into quarantine, according to the district’s COVID-19 Dashboard.
This week, Grayson County Schools has reported nine new cases of the virus among students and staff, with seven of the nine cases linked to Grayson County Middle School.
The superintendent notes that school officials will reevaluate the COVID-19 situation in the county on Thursday, November 12, and make a decision on whether to extend NTI learning, or reopen schools for in-person instruction.
The following is the full text of Robinson’s letter announcing to parents/guardians the transition back to virtual instruction, published on the district’s website:
We know that our students are best served in school and have worked hard to get them there with the hope that could continue undisrupted for as long as possible. We have also realized that at some point a return to some form of NTI schedule could become likely.
Our community health climate has changed dramatically this week. In addition, we are currently facing staffing challenges due to increased quarantine numbers. As a result, we will transition all schools to NTI for the week of November 9 – 13. We will continue to monitor public health conditions and reassess this decision next Thursday.
It is important for you to feel secure that our schools and our staff have done an incredible job following the procedures and processes put in place to keep our children safe and well.
Our local Health Department has repeatedly shared with us that Grayson County’s increased incidence rate has not stemmed from our schools. We have been doing the right things and doing things right. Right now, with limited manpower and resources available to our overall community and the increase in numbers countywide, that is simply not enough.
Understand that we rely on the Health Department’s expertise to help guide our decision making process and its impact within our schools and greater community. They do not, however, make the final determination whether schools will remain open or close. That is ultimately and solely a district decision.
Our situation is complex. It changes daily, sometimes hourly. There are no absolutes.
Our goals are to keep everyone – students, staff, families, our community – safe, and with as little disruption as possible. At times those goals work in complete opposition to one another.
We believe that our students are best served in the classroom. By transitioning to NTI at this time, we also serve our greater community, doing our part to lower potential transmission. The decisions we make today will impact when and how we are able to return to the classroom.
I recognize this is an additional challenge during already challenging days. We always strive to provide as much advance notice as we possibly can. In the current environment, that may be very short. We must all continue to stay ready for change this school year and the potential quick turnaround that public health conditions may warrant.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
