Derby, Maize and Maize South high schools among 52 active school clusters in Kansas

State public health officials identified four active coronavirus clusters at schools in Sedgwick County on Wednesday as the local health department continues to not name school with clusters.

Derby High School, Derby Middle School, Maize High School and Maize South High School were all listed on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s list of active outbreaks of COVID-19. Maize Elementary School was removed from the list after being added last week.

Its removal indicates there were fewer than five new cases associated with the cluster in the past 14 days.

The Sedgwick County Health Department reported 14 active clusters related to schools as of Tuesday, but has only ever publicly identified the Derby High outbreak. The KDHE first reported a cluster on the Derby High football team in late September, and the school itself has been listed as an active cluster for more than a month.

“KDHE has been posting and notifying the public of school clusters in its Wednesday website update,” Sedgwick County spokesperson Kate Flavin said on Friday. “I am not sure why their information is not consistent with what is shared on the Sedgwick County dashboard. We will look into this. Please note that the school and school-related clusters are contained and families should be notified by the schools if there is COVID-19.”

Both the Maize and Derby school districts have switched middle and high schools to remote learning through the Thanksgiving break. Maize has also sent elementary students home for online learning.

Those four schools were the only ones from the Wichita area included on the KDHE list, though the state health department does not identify all active clusters. There were 52 active school clusters statewide on Wednesday.

Maize Superintendent Chad Higgins and high school principals Chris Botts and Dave Hickerson acknowledged the KDHE cluster identifications in a message that went to Maize parents Wednesday evening.

“It typically is not in the district’s protocol to inform parents of a positive case unless their child has been identified as a close contact,” the administrators said. “However, as a courtesy and in this specific case, the district determined that it was important to make this information available to you.”

Maize High had 19 cases and Maize South had 11 cases in the last two weeks, according to the KDHE report. It does not specify whether the patients were students or staff.

“While we do not want to diminish the importance of this news in any way, we do want to help provide a bit of context for you regarding your child’s school community,” the school administrators said. “Maize High School’s student enrollment is 1,166, and Maize South High School’s student enrollment is 1,126.”

Derby Public Schools announced Wednesday afternoon that Cooper Elementary School was moving online starting Thursday. The decision was made “after closely monitoring the number of COVID-19 positive cases and quarantines” at the school.

The KDHE reported 10 cases at both Derby High and Derby Middle in over the last two weeks.

This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 1:40 PM.