COVID cases up 4.7% at Wichita schools; middle and high schools back in-person next week

COVID-19 cases at Wichita Public Schools rose about 4.7% in the last week, according to weekly data released Friday that includes the first full week of elementary students back in the classroom.

The virus has infected 1,637 students and staff so far.

Staffing shortages from either being infected or having to quarantine after possible exposure caused the Board of Education for Wichita Public Schools to send elementary students home last month. The board changed course earlier this month and decided to bring students back. Elementary students started back in-person on Jan. 13. Middle and high school students, which have been remote all year, will go back to the classrooms in a blended model next week.

The data released Friday by the school district show cases from Jan. 14 through Thursday increased by 74.

Staff accounts for 1,008 cases, or about 62%. Staff cases increased 43 from the last report; remote students rose by 20 to 382 and in-person students climbed by 20 to 247.

The report last week, when students weren’t in the buildings, showed an increase of 183 cases. That number is 2.5 times higher than in Friday’s report, which included elementary students being back in-person.

As for staffing issues, Friday’s report shows 625 employees under quarantine — 116 are new from the last report. The 625 employees under quarantine represent about 8% of on-site employees.

The district doesn’t list how many people are under quarantine at each building but instead identifies locations of quarantines as falling under one of several categories: elementary, middle, high, K-8, special schools or non-attendance centers.

Elementary schools account for 50% of the 114 locations where quarantines are occurring.

This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 7:48 PM.