KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Shawnee Mission School District applauded Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s decision to delay the start of school this fall as the number of coronavirus cases in the state continues to climb.
“If we were to start school today, knowing where the numbers are, the answer to (whether students would be in classrooms) is an emphatic no,” SMSD Superintendent Dr. Mike Fulton said.
Kelly announced Wednesday during a briefing in Topeka that she will sign an executive order Monday delaying school until after Labor Day. She also acknowledged the start of school could be delayed more if Kansas doesn't get a better handle on the pandemic.
“I cannot in good conscience open schools when Kansas has numerous hot spots, where cases are at an all-time high and continuing to rapidly rise," Kelly said. "Putting nearly half a million kids in daily large gatherings is the exact opposite of what health experts have urged us to do."
The extra time is aimed at helping schools develop safety precautions and curriculum for in-person, online and hybrid learning.
For many districts, like Shawnee Mission, the abrupt closure last spring created many challenges.
“We need to make sure if we need to start off remote, we can do that," Fulton said. "We also need to make sure if we have to be in a hybrid model, where kids are going to school a couple days a week and they’re learning at home a couple days a week, we have that model designed."
If students go back to in-person learning, those in middle and high school will be required to wear masks and social distance, according to the governor’s forthcoming executive order. Staff also will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked.
But the biggest challenge Fulton predicted is shifting how schools teach.
“We are going to have to shift from a time-based, seat-based model to a learning system where we make sure every child is getting the learning they need, that we have good assessments demonstrating that,” Fulton said. “We have to be continually engaging students on those important standards that they need to be able to know and be able to do.”
