JCPS will remain open as district, health officials monitor coronavirus

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools will remain open as officials closely monitor the spread of COVID-19, Superintendent Marty Pollio said Monday.

Kentucky’s largest school system is taking precautionary measures to limit exposure, including disinfecting schools, instructing students on proper hand-washing practices and giving them more time for hygiene before meals, and evaluating the necessity of out-of-county field trips.

The district is also advising principals to give students more time to wash their hands, particularly before meals, and teaching students the proper ways to shield their coughs and sneezes, he said.

Pollio joined city and state officials at a news conference Monday for an update on the novel coronavirus. The first confirmed case in Jefferson County was reported Sunday.

"Clear guidance has been given to our principals and school building leaders about actionable steps that can be taken right now to reduce the spread of any virus, including the flu," Pollio said.

"We will continue to work with the health department on the guidance around this matter, and so we will continue to have school at this time," he said. "Kentucky public health officials are not recommending school closures at this time, but we do monitor that daily."

If local schools are forced to close due to COVID-19, Pollio said project-based instructional materials will be provided for students in digital and hard copies to work on while they're home. Harrison County Schools shut down this week after the county received its first confirmed coronavirus case.

JCPS is not part of the state's Non-Traditional Instruction program, which gives districts up to 10 days of remote learning in the event of closures. The Kentucky Department of Education announced Sunday that it's exploring the possibility of allowing districts to join the program for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year and granting additional days for schools that already have exhausted their 10-day limits.

Eighty-three districts participate in the program. JCPS did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on whether they would seek such a waiver for the rest of the school year.

"Clearly it's an equity issue because we would struggle to make sure every student had some kind of device to do that type of instruction, and it pretty clearly states there has to be interaction with teachers on an ongoing basis," he told reporters after Monday's news conference. "That is not something we have the ability to do although we do want to provide a lot of supplemental options and materials for kids and families."

The Kentucky Department of Education is also hoping to receive a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for meal services during school closures for students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, according to a Sunday news release from the state. If approved, those meals will not need to be served in a group setting.

"I know there continues to be anxiety among our public school families -- students, educators and staff members alike -- and I want to reiterate what the governor and state health officials have already expressed -- this is not a time to panic, as Kentuckians' risk of getting the virus is relatively low," Kevin Brown, interim education commissioner, said in a statement.

"I also want to reassure you that everyone at KDE and within other agencies of state government are ready and willing to assist our schools and districts as this situation evolves."

The Archdiocese of Louisville said in a letter to families Monday that its Catholic schools will continue to operate on normal schedules.

The Archdiocese urged those with respiratory ailments to stay home from school and practice good hygiene, such as washing hands for at least 20 seconds, coughing into elbows and cleaning regularly used surfaces.

"We will continue to monitor conditions in conjunction with our local health departments, and if conditions change, we will adjust our recommendations and practices accordingly," Superintendent Leisa Schulz wrote in the letter.

Pollio said multiple options are on the table for JCPS as district and health officials keep an eye on the spread of coronavirus locally.

That could include closing individual schools, groups of schools or simply calling off classes across the district, he said.

"It is much more challenging to close a small group of schools, clearly," Pollio said. "There's a lot of other factors that go into that, including makeup time and things like that."

Pollio said custodial workers has been instructed to sanitize surfaces throughout schools, but he said staffing is "always" a concern.

"We're taking every effort and every approach to make sure we have enough at schools, but clearly that's a challenge for us as we move forward," Pollio told reporters.

JCPS spokesman Mark Hebert said hand sanitizer, normally not allowed in schools, is on the way.

"Until late last week, we did not allow hand sanitizer in our schools. We have ordered it but it has not arrived," Hebert said in an email to WDRB News. "In the meantime, schools are free to purchase hand sanitizer if they can find it and teachers are certainly welcome to buy it if they choose. We are still encouraging frequent, proper hand washing as the primary way to prevent spread of viruses but principals have been told to allow hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol as a back up (CDC guideline)."

Attendance at JCPS took a slight hit Monday as schools reported 89.5% attendance, according to district spokesman Mark Hebert. That's down from this year's 93.7% average but better than Feb. 7, when JCPS was on a two-hour weather delay and 82.2% of students were in school, Hebert said, noting that Monday's attendance rate could fluctutate as schools input more data.

Pollio directed families to monitor the state's COVID-19 website at kycovid19.ky.gov and said that the district's website, jefferson.kyschools.us, will regularly post updates as well. 

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