More school districts suspend in-person learning, some shut down athletics

Russell County Schools on Monday became at least the 18th Kentucky district to close or return to virtual learning this school year as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies.

Superintendent Michael Ford also took the additional step of shutting down athletics.

Ford said the school district would move to virtual, at-home learning through Sept. 3, returning to class on Sept. 7. That means the district will start using the limited non-traditional instruction days that a 2021 state law allows.

“We have too many employees out to properly operate our schools and have a large number of COVID-19 positive students and employees,” Ford said in a Twitter post.

Ford suspended all sports and extra-curricular activities, including games and practices.

“I realize this is not what any of us wanted, but it is for the best,” Ford said.

Owsley County Schools returned to in-person learning last week, but Monday afternoon Superintendent Tim Bobrowski said the district will move to NTI for the rest of the week.

An interim legislative panel is meeting Wednesday in Frankfort to discuss schools and COVID. A new law aimed at keeping schools open and restricting the use of NTI was passed in 2021, but it is limiting superintendents who say they are trying to prevent the spread of COVID.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday that school districts need more flexibility in moving to NTI, including just moving individual schools into NTI.

Beshear hopes the issue will be on the agenda of a special session of the General Assembly that he wants to call as soon as possible.

Education Commissioner Jason Glass told superintendents in his weekly message Monday that he knew some of them were asking for more flexibility.

The limit of 10 non-traditional instruction days – along with the inability to use those days just for one school – “won’t work with the infection rates we are seeing,” Glass said.

The Kentucky Department of Education is working with the Kentucky Board of Education, Gov. Andy Beshear and legislative leaders on potential changes to create additional options and flexibility, Glass said.

Employee deaths, staff shortages, positive cases and quarantines are paralyzing some districts across the state.

The following districts have stopped in-person learning for various time periods. Some have offered no learning and others returned to virtual learning.

Casey, Carter, Franklin, Owsley, Knott, Powell, Pike, Lee, Leslie, Jenkins Independent, Carroll County and Greenup County, Letcher, Russellville Independent Schools, Fairview Independent, Edmonson and Magoffin County Schools.

This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 4:00 PM.