Letcher County Schools was the thirteenth Kentucky school district to cease in-person learning during COVID.
In person classes are a priority. However, we are seeing a greater number of students and staff becoming ill, or being quarantined, Denise Yonts, Letcher Superintendent, said in a message to families.
Unfortunately, we don't have enough replacements to adequately supervise students. This will give staff and students time to recuperate and be healthy again, Yonts stated.
The number of COVID cases fell in Kentucky and the country in the early summer following the introduction vaccines. School leaders and families decided to offer in-person classes for 2021-22.
Some people have seen a change in their lives due to the highly contagious Delta virus and their hesitancy about getting vaccines. According to the Kentucky Department for Public Health, there were 4,815 COVID cases reported Friday. This includes 1,529 for people aged 18 and younger.
Since the beginning of classes this month, hundreds upon hundreds of Kentucky K-12 students have been placed in COVID-19 isolate after they were exposed to a variety of contaminants.
From Aug. 30 through Sept. 6, Letcher County Schools will be temporarily closed
September 7th will see classes resume.
Many districts offered no learning while the shutdown was ongoing, while others launched at-home learning next Monday.
Russellville Independent Schools, and Magoffin County Schools will close next week without providing instruction. Officials stated that Magoffin County had already scheduled Sept. 3 as a day off. Four more days will be added by the district to the school year's end.
Carter County Schools and Casey County Schools announced Friday that their districts will be moving to at-home learning next week. They also plan to return to in person instruction in September 7. Franklin County Schools also made an NTI announcement on Thursday.
Continue the story
After being closed for several days, Owsley County Schools reopened last Thursday to in-person learning. Knott County Schools will reopen Monday for in-person learning following the closure of school buildings because of COVID-19.
Since the start of school, in-person learning has been discontinued by various school districts, including Carroll County, Greenup County, Leslie, Jenkins Independent and Jenkins Independent. According to the Greenup County superintendent, COVID-19 complications are responsible for the death of an assistant football coach last week.
Delta is a dangerous and aggressive force within our communities that has been threatening the education of our children. Step up for them. Gov., get vaccinated. Andy Beshear tweeted Saturday about school closings due to coronavirus.
House Bill 208 is a state law that was passed in 2021 by the General Assembly. It only grants school districts 10 days of nontraditional instruction they don't have to make up. This law was intended to prevent extended remote learning like what happened in Kentucky during the March 2020 pandemic. Districts had unlimited at-home learning last school year.
A number of Kentucky superintendents have asked lawmakers for more NTI days to ensure that children don't miss out on learning, and that they are not required to make up days at the end.
