KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just a few days into the school year, school districts are experiencing increases in COVID-19 cases.
KSHB 41 News learned Thursday morning the Kansas City, Kansas, Public School District is among them.
A spokesperson for the district confirmed KCKPS has averaged 12 to 15 positive COVID-19 cases per day since the beginning of the school year.
As of Aug. 19, there are 82 positive cases between 59 students and 23 staff.
With 220 students and staff currently quarantined, a spokesperson said the district hopes to start a dashboard "to assist families in monitoring the cases in an easier fashion."
As a parent of two kids in elementary school in the district, Meghen Jones said she'd like more transparency about case updates.
"I’d love to see a webpage on the district website where the statistics are just kept updated," Jones said. "I'd love to be able to see new cases per day both for the district at large and for each individual school."
While Jones wants more information about case numbers, she appreciates the district's masking policy requiring all students, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks.
"I don't think there was another way that made any sense, honestly," Jones said.
Jones plans to get her kids vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. In the meantime, she's happy they will be wearing masks and doing school in-person, which she believes is the best method for success.
"The school, education wise, I feel they are doing great, with safety measures they are doing the best that they possibly could be," Jones said.
Turner USD 202 implemented a mask mandate this week after previously only recommending mask wearing.
The district made the decision among a “significant amount of quarantines of unvaccinated, unmasked individuals” just six days into school.
Districts across the metro have said their top priority is to keep students in in-person learning modes.
A spokesperson for Turner told KSHB 41 News the mask mandate will help them accomplish that goal through fewer quarantines and other interruptions to school activities.
