KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Lee's Summit School Board voted Thursday night to move its pre-kindergarten through third-grade students to virtual learning.
The shift from in-person school to the virtual model will begin Monday through at least Jan. 11.
"The district’s recommendation to move all students to a virtual environment follows a sharp increase in our district’s COVID-19 data in a short period of time," the Lee's Summit school district said in a statement. "This data reflects a significant rise in cases in our local community, which is experiencing what public health officials are calling 'uncontrolled' levels of transmission."
The release also cites the rise in cases and quarantines as well as staffing shortages, which make it difficult to maintain a low risk for students, staff and teachers in the school environment.
"On top of that, local officials have said that the risk of exposure during the two weeks after Thanksgiving and winter break will also significantly increase for the community because of holiday gatherings," the district said in a statement.
During a meeting Tuesday, the school board approved moving students in fourth through 12th grades to a virtual learning model beginning Monday through at least Jan. 21. November 23.
The school board and district administrators will meet in early January to consider current data related to the COVID-19 pandemic and decide if the youngest students will return to in-person learning.
The district also plans to meet in mid-January to consider when students in fourth grade and above could return to classrooms.
