In-person classes should be delayed until COVID-19 positivity rates drop below 4%, KEA says

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's statewide teachers association said school districts should not reopen for in-person instruction until statewide and local COVID-19 positivity rates drop below 4%.

In a news release Friday, the Kentucky Education Association (KEA) called on school districts to wait until the state's positivity rate, as well as individual counties' rates, drops below 4% and "remain below 4% for 21 consecutive days as measured by a seven-day rolling average" before allowing classes to be conducted face-to-face.

"Doing anything else is simply irresponsible," KEA said in its news release.

As of Friday, the state's positivity rate was back up to 5.57% after being 5.43% a week ago, according to a news release from Gov. Andy Beshear's office.

KEA also said individual districts should consider "factors unique to their own communities, such as the infection rate among school-aged children and whether the Department of Public Health supports their reopening plan" before allowing in-person instruction.

When face-to-face classes are back in session, the association called on districts to have "comprehensive mitigation procedures" in place, offer virtual alternatives to accommodate families who request it and accommodate staffers who are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms or live with someone who is.

Districts must also be ready to return to complete virtual learning "if the state or county metrics require it," KEA said.

"Unfortunately, this will be the reality of public education and our economy until there is an effective vaccine or reliable treatment for COVID-19, or both," KEA said.

Beshear has already request the state's school delay in-person instruction until the third week of August.

"My concern is that if schools start before this when we're seeing an escalation of the virus we'll see cases in schools, and if we see a lot of early cases in schools it will be harder to get all of our schools open for in-person classes," the governor said when making the request July 27.

"I believe everybody deserves a safe environment, and it's hard to argue we have a safe environment when our cases overall are escalating and our positivity rate is up again today."

A number of districts, including Jefferson County Public Schools and Bullitt County Public Schools, plan to start the fall semester with non-traditional instruction only. Others, like Oldham County Public Schools and Hardin County Schools, have decided to allow some students to operate on a split schedule or choose between in-person learning and more intensive online options.