UPDATE: Catholic schools agree to Beshear’s in-person closure. Some private schools remain mum.

Catholic schools in Kentucky will follow Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive order to stop in-person classes but want to resume as soon as possible, said Tom Brown, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Lexington.

Fayette County Public Schools have largely had remote classes this academic year amid the COVID-19 pandemic but Catholic and many private schools have been offering in-person classes.

With a recent surge in cases, starting Monday all K-12 schools in Kentucky, including private schools, must stop in-person classes and move to remote learning, Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news briefing Wednesday.

Brown said the four Catholic bishops in Kentucky met Thursday afternoon and made the joint decision “that at this time we will suspend in-person education and go to all virtual.”

“It is our goal to move back to the in-person instruction as soon as we possibly can,” he said.

All middle and high schools will move to remote learning until at least Jan. 4, Beshear said. Fayette County Public Schools had already made a similar decision.

Only elementary schools in counties where there are fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 people -- who are not in the state’s critical red zone -- and that are following health guidelines will be able to reopen Dec. 7.

“We’re disappointed that we’re here. We felt like our schools have done an outstanding job and we did not have many cases,” Brown said. “We felt like we were on the right track and could have continued but we have a greater good that we’re part of also.”

The Catholic Diocese of Lexington includes 13 schools, including four elementary schools and one high school in Lexington. Six other schools are in the Bluegrass region and two are in Eastern Kentucky.

The Lexington Christian Academy that had been engaging in in-person instruction will also follow Beshear’s order.

“While we are disappointed by this mandate, LCA remains steadfast in its conviction to do what is in the best interest of our stakeholders,” Head of School B. Scott Wells said in a statement Friday morning. “Our prayers for perseverance, discernment, hope, and strength are with our families, faculty, staff, community, and commonwealth.”

Two private schools in Fayette County that have been attending class in person this academic year -- Sayre and The Lexington School -- had not responded to questions from the Herald-Leader by Friday morning.

Beshear’s order will have the force and effect of law, said Kentucky Department of Education spokeswoman Toni Konz Tatman.

“We need to get this virus under control,” said Tatman.

As for public schools, Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason Glass confirmed school board members and district officials could face removal if they don’t follow Beshear’s order and teacher’s license could be at risk “but we do not expect it would get to that point.”

This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 5:43 PM.