Administrators in Platte County’s school districts are scrambling to get teachers and staff vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus with supplies limited and some in the public demanding a full return to school for kids.
The issue was discussed at a special board meeting of the Platte County R-3 school district last Thursday, Feb. 4. Superintendent Dr. Mike Reik told board members they have all of their feelers out looking.
“It’s kind of a wild west roll-out and every district is looking for a partner because our health departments are just not getting very much of the vaccine,” Reik said. “All districts are just trying to find any healthcare provider or any pharmacy that will partner with us.”
Reik said the district thinks it’s found a partner in North Kansas City Hospital. Reik said officials at the hospital have told him they think they can vaccinate the entire staff in one day. As of last week the district did not have a firm date of when it could possibly happen.
“We don’t know exactly when we will be called,” Reik said. “But we do have a partner as of right now.”
Last week the district sent out an email trying to gauge the interest of teachers and staff. Dr. Jennifer Beutel, executive director for pupil services for R-3, said more than 500 staff had responded by the next day. About 80 percent said they are interested in receiving the vaccine with about 10 percent saying they’re unsure. The other 10 percent does not want the vaccine. Beutel said within 24 hours 354 staff members had signed up to get on the list to be vaccinated.
“We are contacting anybody and everybody and trying to make sure we get the information we collect from our employees so that we can pivot to anyone who wants to help us,” Beutel said. “While we’re doing that I think the important thing to note is so is everyone else.”
Beutel said even with North Kansas City Hospital in line to help them the district is still looking in case someone else can help sooner.
“Districts are all battling trying to find somebody to work with,” Beutel said. “Something like this shouldn’t feel competitive but it does. We’re just putting all feelers out there and maintain those relationships.”
Beutel said the district is looking for partners primarily outside the county because Platte County is getting so little of the vaccine. Beutel noted that in Clay County residents 65 and older are getting vaccinated while folks in Platte County have to be much older to get vaccinated.
Other districts in the county are also having the same issues and the interest level is also different.
North Platte Superintendent Karl Matt told the Platte County Citizen that when surveyed only about half of his staff said they wanted the COVID-19 vaccine with about 25 percent saying they were unsure and another 25 percent saying no. Matt said his district is having the same problems finding a provider.
Matt said he’s reached out to area hospitals and had conversations with the county health department with no luck.
“I think the county health department is doing what they can,” Matt said. “I don’t think they’re getting any communication from above them or any idea when they’re getting vaccinations. We’re just kind of in a holding pattern. I guess we’ll have it at some point. I just don’t know when or where.”
Platte County’s largest district, Park Hill, announced Tuesday afternoon it has reached an agreement with North Kansas City Hospital and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
“I am so excited about this opportunity,” Superintendent Dr. Jeanette Cowherd said on a video on the district’s website. “We’ll be one step closer to offering full-time in-person schools.”
Cowherd said about 2,000 staff and employees will participate. A few weeks ago the district surveyed employees with the interest rate in the high 90 percentile.
Similar to what Platte County R-3 was told the district does not know when exactly the vaccinations will occur.
Cowherd said the district should get about a week’s notice.
Reik told his board members that NKC Hospital could vaccinate the entire staff in one day. He said that would require a virtual learning day for the district.
“There’s no way for us to continue regular operations if we’re getting everyone vaccinated in one day,” Reik said. “If we can get our staff vaccinated we’re willing to do just about anything to make it happen.”
Cowherd said Park Hill’s vaccinations will take about two days. She said the district will go into virtual learning mode for those two days and another two days a few weeks later for the second shot of vaccine.