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The Marshall County Board of Education passed several measures to combat the current pandemic. The steps were related to the use of distance learning days, a test-to-stay program, and protocols for the session at various COVID-19 incidence rates for the county.
The adopted plan calls for students, teachers, and staff to continue wearing masks through October 22, which would be two weeks after the end of the fall break, October 4-8. After that date, the county will assess where it stands with the county’s daily incidence rate per 100,000 population from the Marshall County Health Department and Kentucky Department for Public Health, and how masks and other measures are used.
Superintendent Dr. Steve Miracle told the board and attendees at a recent meeting that the county’s incidence numbers had declined, but decided to hold the mask mandate until October 22, in case the county had positive cases after the break.
At this point, the district will implement a metric for mask usage and other steps in the district’s schools. This metric ranges from green (one case per 100,000 people daily) and yellow (1-10 cases), where masks are not required in school but still required on buses, to orange (10-25 cases), where masks are required are range recommended, and red (more than 25 cases) where masks are required.
Miracle said the adjustment from one color code level to another would not be immediate, but the district would study any patterns of case rise or fall in order to make a decision on which level to use for the coming week. That would then be communicated to the public.
He also said school officials could even list certain levels in specific schools rather than across the district. For example, if a particular school had numerous cases and other schools did not, the school with numerous cases could be red while the rest could be orange.
Miracle also added that masks would continue to be optional for students and staff even if the district were operated under a green paint tier.
Previously, the board of directors had also allowed Miracle to use remote learning days as required. The Kentucky General Assembly allows school districts up to 20 for the year 2021-22. Last year schools were given unlimited days of nontraditional instruction (NTI) to help cope with learning during the pandemic.
Also, following a presentation by Christine Riley of Beechtree Diagnostics, who conducts rapid COVID-19 testing, the board approved Miracle to enter into an agreement with Conducted Living LLC / Beechtree Labs to implement a test-to-stay program as an option for quarantine . However, approval is subject to approval from board attorney Martin Johnson.
Current guidelines state that if a student or employee is exposed to COVID-19 within one meter and masked for 15 minutes, those individuals must be quarantined. If not masked, exposure is considered 15 minutes within two meters. The quarantine can take one to two weeks.
There have been 14 active student cases and 70 under quarantine, according to the county’s COVID-19 numbers on Monday morning. There were two active cases and one in quarantine among employees.
Miracle said the test-to-stay proposal will allow those who are in quarantine or parents could choose to have their student tested. If this test is negative, the student does not need to be quarantined.
Riley said in her presentation that there are two types of tests that Beechtree uses to detect the coronavirus and its variants through non-invasive nasal swabs and saliva. The tests are shipped overnight and the results are usually provided via QR code within 12 hours.
Even if Beechtree is not on the state list of test laboratories, parents do not incur any costs for the test, which can be carried out daily if necessary.
Overall, Miracle said the board’s decisions are to keep the school district up and running.
“We know that we will never make a decision on this matter that will make everyone happy. I also know that the decision I recommend to the board is to compromise and try to take into account all the concerns of our constituents and it is likely that both sides will reprimand, â€he said. “But the reason we need to push this decision isn’t based on everything we’ve heard, but rather because we need to keep our schools running.
“The reality is that we are not working under the same parameters as in 2020. Our parents can no longer take it if we shut down because our parents are back to work. The school could easily be closed for a longer period of time if we had the days, but we don’t have those days. “
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