KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Following some other Johnson County school districts, the Spring Hill School District announced Wednesday that middle and high school students will begin the school year virtually.
The district’s decision comes after the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment said the county has not met the threshold in school gating criteria, which considers the 14-day average positivity rate, the number of new COVID-19 cases and the number of new cases per 100,000 residents.
On Tuesday, JCDHE Director Dr. Sanmi Areola said the county has reported an 11.4% positivity rate over the last 14 days, with an increasing number of new cases.
Spring Hill schools, which fall in both Johnson and Miami counties, will begin Aug. 26. Elementary students will be allowed in classrooms, but all middle and high school learning will be entirely virtual to begin the year.
The district has not yet made a decision on fall sports competitions. Practices will continue for the time being after they were allowed to begin Monday. Johnson County has recommended that fall sports be suspended at this time.
Shawnee Mission and De Soto school districts announced similar plans to begin the school year virtually on Tuesday. The Blue Valley School District Board of Education rescinded the health department's gating criteria and instead will use the Kansas Department of Education's criteria alongside local data to determine its plans.
