COVID shuts down Ky. school district through August with ‘no virtual instruction.’
Magoffin County Schools will be closed through Aug. 29 due to COVID-19 and won’t offer virtual instruction during the shutdown, school officials said Thursday in a Facebook post.
It and Jenkins Independent are among the latest districts to tell kids and staff to stay out of schools for extended periods to avoid further spread of the virus.
The Lee County and Knott County school districts have also canceled classes this school year for various periods as a result of the coronavirus case surge. Most of Kentucky’s 171 school districts have remained open.
“Over the opening days of the 2021-2022 school year, Magoffin County Schools have seen increasing numbers of positive cases among students and staff,” a district post said.
“Additionally, this has resulted in an escalation of students and staff quarantined due to exposure.
“In order to reduce the prospect of additional spreading and in order to rectify current staff shortages, Magoffin County Schools will be closed through August 29, 2021,” the post said.
There will be no virtual instruction during the closure.
School In Magoffin County will reopen on Monday, Aug. 30, resuming both in-person and virtual options.
“This allows time for all current quarantined staff and students to return to school,” district officials said in the post.
The Jenkins Independent School district started school Aug. 2 and suspended classes just days later, from Aug. 10 through Monday, Aug. 23, said Superintendent Damian Johnson.
Two positive cases of COVID-19 were in the building for middle and high school grades. The two cases have resulted in a significant number of quarantines, Johnson said in a statement.
The time frame will allow all students to be out of school the required time for quarantine and will allow the district to put additional processes and procedures in place to reduce exposure.
Johnson said once the district returns to school on Aug. 23, ample opportunities will be provided for students to remove their masks outside during scheduled mask breaks.
“We are also working to create an outdoor classroom at each campus to allow for additional breaks,” he said.
