Back-to-school plans were discussed and a recommendation to push back the start of school until after Labor Day at a special meeting of the board of directors for the Platte County Health Department.
With new cases of COVID-19 on the rise, the department called the meeting after talks with superintendents of the four Platte County school districts – Park Hill, Platte County R-3, West Platte and North Platte.
At the Thursday, July 30 meeting, health department officials reported more new cases of coronavirus were discovered in Platte County in July than during the first four months of the pandemic combined. On Saturday, July 18, the percent of positive test results was at 19 percent - nearly four times the recommended 5 percent positivity rate for a well-controlled outbreak. Last week, it had dropped to 10 percent, but officials remain cautious.
The virus is spreading throughout communities in Platte County, just as it is in the rest of Missouri, according to health department director Mary Jo Vernon.
As of press time on Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Platte County Health Department reported 571 total cases, 231 of which are within Kansas City and 340 in unincorporated Platte County and smaller municipalities such as Parkville, Platte City and Riverside.
Of those 340 cases, 10 people have now died and 34 have required hospitalization. Another 220 have been released from isolation.
North Platte superintendent Karl Matt and West Platte superintendent Dr. John Rinehart spoke to the board.
While in-person teaching is preferred, according to both superintendents, the districts are working on options for online and hybrid programs.
“We’ll go along with whatever you decide,” Rinehart said. “We have to keep the health of the community at the utmost.”
In a community survey, both districts said about 75 percent of parents said they would prefer in-person school for various reasons. Many families lack the flexibility to adjust to hybrid schooling plans and about 20 percent of respondents said they lacked reliable internet access.
Board member Paula Willmarth voiced numerous concerns about the back-to-school plans, citing a recent high school commencement ceremony in Kearney which kicked off a COVID outbreak and a county fair in rural Missouri that launched another.
“Until we can get things under control, we don’t have any control,” Willmarth said. “I am so worried about these kids.”
Willmarth said she understands concerns about social isolation of students and building relationships with educators.
“Shouldn’t our bottom line be to protect our children and our administrators from this deadly virus,” she said.
She suggested school should not be in session in person until next year, but knowing that is an unrealistic request she called for a delay of the first day of school until September.
Vernon said there is data to support the delay of school until September.