No in-person learning for Fayette students before Feb. 12. Phased return ‘soon?’

Fayette County students will continue learning from home through at least Feb. 12, Acting Superintendent Marlene Helm said Tuesday.

The 7-day average of COVID-19 cases remained fairly steady over the past week – 193 Tuesday, compared with 197 a week ago – which keeps Fayette County in the most critical range of the district In-Person Learning Matrix, Helm said.

As a result, after meeting with Lexington-Fayette County Health Department staff Tuesday, district officials decided not to return to in-person learning the week of Feb. 8-12.

“However, one of the strengths of the FCPS In-Person Learning Matrix is that it allows us to consider multiple factors when determining the appropriate mode of instruction, including orders from the governor, student and staff absences, isolations and quarantines, operations and support considerations, community vs. institutional spread, community trends, and vaccine uptake,” Helm said.

Due to the fluid nature of COVID-19, district officials are finalizing decisions two weeks out.

“However, we anticipate a graduated return to in-person instruction for students in grades K-2 whose families choose that mode of learning will be possible soon,” Helm said.

She said many employees have already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The number of students testing positive for COVID-19 and resulting in isolations this week has fallen to 65, compared with 132 last week.

The number of staff testing positive for COVID-19 and resulting in isolations this week has fallen to 30, compared with 38 last week, she said.

While cases are still high, community spread of COVID-19 has come down since the holiday spike and is holding steady, said Helm.

Once again, said Helm, cases in the community are not the result of institutional spread within assisted living centers or detention facilities.

When in-person learning returns, remote learning will continue to be an option for families who choose that for their children.

With some exceptions of two hours of in-person learning in the fall for small groups and some in-person instruction for special needs students, most Fayette students have been learning from home since March 2020.