More schools in Wichita area move students to online classes as COVID rates spike

More schools in the Wichita area are sending at least some of their students to fully remote learning as the coronavirus pandemic worsens.

The local school decisions come as Kansas Department of Health and Environment data shows Sedgwick, Reno, Butler, Harvey, Sumner and Cowley counties above the red zone thresholds for the positive test rate and the rate of new COVID-19 cases.

Many district created their own reopening guides based on the Kansas State Department of Education’s gating criteria. The red zone calls for online only classes for all grade levels and no sports or other activities.

Some districts are more strict about following their guides than others.

In addition to changes to in-person, hybrid and remote classes, school districts have also discussed the future of athletics. Winter sports at most schools are expected to start practices next week. Some schools plan to limit attendance or ban fans completely.

Basketball and wrestling are considered high-risk for spreading the coronavirus, and indoor competitions increase that risk further.

The Sedgwick County Health Department has reported 10 coronavirus clusters at schools, but only one has been publicly identified. That was Derby High School, which has been listed as an active outbreak by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for more than a month.

As of Oct. 30, Derby was the only school cluster. That means nine more school clusters in Sedgwick County have been reported in the last 11 days.

In Harvey County, Newton High School was identified as a cluster last week. In Reno County, Faris Elementary School was identified as a cluster last week and Hutchinson High School was identified as a cluster on Monday.

Wichita

The Wichita school board decided Monday to keep its current learning model instead of loosening restrictions as planned. Elementary schools will remain either fully in-person or fully online, depending on what parents chose at the start of the school year. All middle and high school students stay remote until the end of the semester in January.

No decision has been made on winter sports.

Maize

The Maize school board on Monday took the most restrictive approach of any district in the area.

All students in all grade levels are moving online only. Remote learning starts Friday for high school and Monday for elementary and middle schools.

The situation will be reassessed Nov. 23.

“While it will continue to be our goal to educate as many students in person as much as possible, the ability to safely staff schools must be a reality before returning back to in-person instruction at any level,” Superintendent Chad Higgins said in a statement.

Staff shortages are already affecting the district.

“This has a direct impact on our ability to continue to keep our district open and functional,” Higgins said. “Just in the past several days, the district has struggled to find enough substitute teachers to fill all vacant classrooms and likely will not have enough bus drivers and food service staff members to operate effectively.”

The district is proceeding with winter sports, but is banning fans at athletic competitions hosted at Maize facilities, beginning immediately. The decision will be continually reassessed for the remainder of the school year.

“Unfortunately, the district has experienced challenges related to guests and spectators not complying with COVID-19-related health and safety measures, including properly wearing face masks,” Higgins said.

Derby

Older students in Derby will be moving online until after Thanksgiving.

Derby’s Gating Criteria Committee decided on Tuesday to move to the orange zone of its reopening guide for two weeks, starting next week. Elementary students stay in-person while middle and high schools shift remote.

The committee will review indicators on Nov. 25 to make a determination on learning modes through winter break.

“We all share a responsibility to keep our community safe and reduce the spread and the effects it has on our learning environment,” USD 260 Superintendent Heather Bohaty said in a statement. “This is a community issue, not just a school issue. I urge everyone to make adjustments to help positive cases begin to trend downward again.”

Andover

Andover’s school board was among the first in the metro area to take action to restrict in-person classes as COVID-19 numbers spiked across the region. However, none of the grade levels are remote.

The UDS 385 board decided Nov. 3 to return middle school students to hybrid learning, starting Monday and continuing through Dec. 4. Elementary schools remain in-person while high schools remain hybrid.

“We also have seen an uptick in cases among students and staff in the past two weeks, and that — in addition to household close contacts and close contacts outside school — has led to more students and staff in isolation,” Superintendent Brett White said in a statement. “We need to stabilize those numbers to make the rest of the year sustainable.”

White said the Andover community needs to follow the same safety protocols that students and teachers do.

“It is essential that we all band together as a community, and are smart and methodical in our actions, so we can slow the spread,” he said. “I encourage you to join me and others in our community in making these sacrifices, because I believe it is worth it if it means our students can remain attending in-person school.”

Haysville

The Haysville school board voted Monday to send middle school and high school students remote for the rest of the semester, starting Nov. 18. Some USD 261 high school classes will be allowed to meet face-to-face to use special equipment or for hands-on learning.

Elementary school will continue in-person for parents who chose that option.

Winter sports and other extracurricular activities will be allowed, but with no spectators.

Valley Center

Valley Center USD 262 announced Thursday that students would stay in the current learning models through Thanksgiving. Elementary school is in-person, middle school is hybrid and high school is remote.

The high school moved remote at the end of October because of a spike in COVID-19 cases among students and staff. The football team’s season then ended with a forfeit in the playoffs to Bishop Carroll.

“This past week, due to these staff absences and a shortage of substitute teachers, we’ve had to temporarily transfer staff members from Valley Center High School to cover positions at one of our elementary buildings,” administrators said in Thursday’s statement. “It’s possible over the coming weeks that a school could experience a temporary closure if it’s not possible to safely operate due to a lack of staff.”

Goddard

Goddard USD 265 had a board meeting scheduled for Monday. The district has not made any recent public announcements on academic or athletic changes due to the pandemic.

Cheney

Cheney USD 268 had a school board meeting scheduled for Monday. The district has not publicly announced any changes to learning models or extracurricular activities.

Renwick

The Renwick school district announced that one K-8 school is moving remote, but no other public announcements were made following the USD 267 school board meeting scheduled for Monday.

St. Mark’s School is moving remote starting Wednesday, the district announced Tuesday in a Facebook post. On-site education is expected to return Nov. 30. The decision was made due to “an increase in the number of positive COVID cases at St. Mark’s School and the number of staff currently on quarantine.”

Other schools in Andale, Colwich and Garden Plain are not affected by the decision.

“It is imperative for all Renwick families to be diligent in regards to COVID precautions,” the Facebook post read. “We need your cooperation and assistance in order to continue to keep our students and staff onsite.”

Hutchinson

Hutchinson USD 308 schools moved remote last month when Reno County entered the red zone of the school reopening guide. While the numbers are still in the red zone, Hutchinson is using a modified hybrid learning model this week.

“A community effort is needed to decrease the COVID-19 cases in Reno County and get our kids to in-person school settings,” Superintendent Mike Folks said Friday in a statement.

The school board on Monday loosened its restrictions on sports. The district’s gating criteria had previously barred middle school activities in the red zone. Now, Hutchinson middle schools may play sports in both the orange and red zones. Spectators are not allowed.

“Other schools in the county and the Wichita Suburban League are allowing middle school activities to continue, even in the red zone of the gating criteria,” Ray Hemman, the district’s public information director, said Monday in a news release. “District middle school students have been practicing for winter sports, which began two weeks ago, but have not been able to compete in games. The change also allows for freshman and junior varsity teams to play with a limited number of spectators at Hutchinson High School, even when the district is in the red zone.”

Newton

Newton’s school board decided Nov. 4 to use a modified orange zone. It started Monday and will run through Thanksgiving break. Preschool through fourth grade is on-site, fifth through eighth grades is hybrid and high school is remote.

Athletics will continue, but without fans.

“It is extremely important that our students practice social distancing, hand-washing, and wearing masks both at school and when they are not at school when possible,” USD 373 administrators said in a statement. “We all have to do our part to get through this wave of cases locally and regionally.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 8:55 PM.