KY education chairman fears schools would abuse 2nd year of unlimited at-home learning

The co-chair of a legislative education committee said Wednesday that he would not be in favor of unlimited non-traditional instruction — or at-home learning — as Kentucky schools had last year.

State Sen. Max Wise, a Campbellsville Republican who leads the Interim Joint Committee on Education, said there should be as much in-person learning as possible. A law passed earlier this year limits districts to 10 days of at-home or virtual instruction, but some superintendents want more options as a new surge in COVID cases occurs.

Wise said he “would be very afraid” that a policy giving districts unlimited NTI days could be abused.

No decisions were made at Wednesday’s two-hour meeting, but lawmakers appeared in agreement that Kentucky schools need some immediate relief on assorted COVID-related challenges, including instruction, funding and bus driver shortages.

Kentucky Republican legislative leaders have scheduled several committee meetings this week to consider possible actions against the coronavirus pandemic, setting up a possible special law-making session as soon as next Tuesday.

At least 24 Kentucky school districts out of 171 have stopped in-person learning for various time frames this school year due to the COVID-19 case surge.

Wise said superintendents tell him they are concerned about getting funding for average daily attendance because they have had absences. In addition, Wise said they were worried about using makeup days at the end of the year and quarantining large numbers of students over a few positive COVID cases. Wise said workforce shortages were another problem.

Lawmakers are looking at short-term and long-term solutions.

Wise said he supports school districts having control at the local level over quarantines and other COVID issues and does not favor statewide mandates.

Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, asked if non-traditional instruction days could be expanded in common sense ways, and Wise said he thought that was possible.

Kentucky superintendents are facing pressures ranging from staff deaths from COVID to financial fears — because state funding is tied to average daily attendance — to the inability to keep school buildings open because of unprecedented staff shortages.

“Our superintendents are working hard to keep educational services in place,” said Jim Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents.

State funding levels for school districts should be stabilized despite absences, Flynn said.

Flynn said in-person instruction is the priority. He said superintendents would be helped if they could offer remote learning or stop in-person learning for just one school or one class rather than the entire district.

“That would be a welcome innovation,” he said.

Some districts will need to move to the state’s non-traditional learning program — learning from home districtwide, Flynn said. Additionally, about 140 districts have applied to open K-12 virtual learning academies, he said.

The General Assembly’s 2021 House Bill 208, which had contributions from the Kentucky Department of Education, did not extend unlimited non-traditional instruction or learning from home days for the 2021-22 school year.

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, who is on the Interim Joint Committee on Education, said school districts could need individualized plans.

The biggest driver of school shutdowns has been staff shortages, and quarantines have caused the staff shortages, said Eric Kennedy, director of advocacy for the Kentucky School Boards Association. Some schools only have one substitute teacher, he said.

Flynn said there are constraints in hiring school bus drivers and substitute teachers because of regulations and policies. He asked for flexibility.

Flynn said current teachers are having to cover classes and provide virtual learning for quarantined students.

There is an “unevenness” across the state on whether vaccinated students and staff have to be quarantined, and there should be more clarity and uniformity, Flynn said.

Kennedy said under state guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals don’t have to quarantine if they don’t show symptoms. He said the biggest thing that would help with the quarantines is more people getting vaccinated.

Green County Schools Superintendent Will Hodges said in his district, students who have been exposed to COVID at school and who test negative for six days can stay in the classroom. At least 146 students who have been exposed to COVID have stayed in school as a result of the ‘ test to stay’ program. Only 5 percent of the district’s students are quarantined, Hodges said. Less than 2 percent are positive, he said.

Some school district officials have said their local health department resources are stretched too thin to try the ‘test to stay” program. Kennedy asked that lawmakers give districts clarity on whether they can use ‘test to stay.”

Nine districts have used non-traditional instruction days so far, Kennedy said.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday he would like to call a special session as soon as legislative leaders and he reach “a general consensus” on what steps to take to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he would like to have the law-making session soon to keep in effect the state of emergency for the pandemic he declared in March 2020. That order is set to expire on Sept. 10.

This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 3:30 PM.