Ark Valley News - District’s virus data pointing downward

District’s virus data pointing downward
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: September 24, 2020

Most of the coronavirus data guiding the Valley Center school district's attendance criteria remained the same this week, but in some cases, numbers showed a more positive trend.

Data updated Mondays on the district's COVID dashboard showed a drop in the community percent positive rate from 6.4 percent to 4.9 percent, improving from the yellow zone to green.

School attendance arrangements are expected to remain the same through Oct. 9, but that could change.

According to data released this week, the virus incidence trend for ages 0-9 dropped from 6.79 percent to 6.55 percent and stayed in the yellow zone, while the incidence trend for ages 10 to 17 dropped from 9.26 percent to 6.23 percent and stayed in the yellow. These were from all of Sedgwick County.

Remaining in the green zone was the regional hospital capacity, with 55 percent of remaining ICU beds.

A figure that more than doubled from Sept. 14 to Sept. 21 was the number of USD 262 students and staff currently quarantined or isolated because they either had the virus or were exposed to it. It jumped from 22 to 59.

Students in kindergarten through third grade as well as fourth- and fifth-grade students at the intermediate school will continue to have in-person instruction Sept. 21 through Oct. 9. There will be no remote Wednesdays. Pre-kindergarten students attend four days a week with no remote days.

Middle school and high school students will remain on the A/B hybrid system with remote Wednesdays during those same three weeks.

Parents who elected at-home learning for their students will remain on that schedule.

Changes to the system could be made if there is a COVID-19 outbreak in schools or there are changes in the number of staff to operate safely, school officials have said.

In a message to parents last week, the district spelled out procedures for how it responds to COVID-19 in schools.

When a student or staff member experiences COVID-like symptoms, the district will not allow them or household contacts to attend school until additional information is received; suggest they contact their health-care provider; and maintain communication to determine a return date.

When a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the district will contact families and staff who may have been in contact; perform extra cleaning in areas the person spent time; notify the local health department and assist identifying close contacts.

The district said for any COVID-19 cases or any other communicable diseases in the district, staff will consult and follow Sedgwick County Health Department direction and provide the necessary notification on a case-by-base basis.

The district said it will not inform the entire school of a positive case; provide personally identifiable information, including name, grade or class to students, staff or the community; or immediately close an entire school for one positive case.