Fayette schools stick with plan to start in-person learning Feb. 16 for grades K-2
An earlier decision to return kindergarten through second grade students in Fayette County schools to in-person learning on Feb. 16 was affirmed Tuesday by Acting Superintendent Marlene Helm.
District officials announced that plan several days ago, and upheld it Tuesday. Fayette students have mostly been learning remotely since March 2020.
“We are excited to affirm that students in grades K-2 will have face-to-face instruction the weeks of Feb. 16-19, and Feb. 22-26, 2021. Remote learning will continue for K-2 students whose families chose that option,” said Helm.
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Fayette County continues to decline, and according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, today’s 7-Day average is down to 127, Helm said.
That data places Lexington in red, or Stage 4 of the Fayette schools In-Person Learning Matrix, which, in concert with other transition factors, allows for a graduated return to in-person learning, she said.
Start times at the elementary level will be at 7:35 a.m. at all elementary schools with the exception of Cassidy, Mary Todd and Northern that start at 8:25 a.m. Families will receive specific communication from their schools about this transition and other logistics, including health and safety precautions. Families with questions about the return should contact their child’s school.
After K-2 students return, grades 3 through 5, 6, 9 and 12 will be next, followed by grades 7, 8, 10 and 11. Preschool students are expected to be the final group to go back to classroom under the most recent plan discussed by district staff.
No time frame has been given for when the next phase of students will return in person.
All other grade levels will continue with NTI: 2DL until a return date is determined. District officials will make an announcement about the week of March 1-5 next Tuesday.
“We are committed to adding other grade levels as our FCPS In-Person Learning Matrix and transition factors allow,” Helm said.