Fayette Schools COVID case numbers down, vacancies better but still an issue
District expanding test and stay program, other steps coming
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Like the community, the number f COVID cases and quarantines in Fayette County Schools continue to slowly decline, but cases haven’t gone away.
According to the school district’s Tuesday recap, in the last week the district, which has more than 40,000 students and 8,000 employees, reported 63 new student cases, eight 8 new staff cases, 318 new student quarantines and four new staff quarantines. As of November 2, 2021, 349 students and four employees are in quarantine.
Meanwhile, following the success of its Test to Stay in School pilot program during the past month, the district is expanding it to other schools. With the addition of Arlington, Sandersville, and Veterans Park elementary schools in the past week, the district now has 11 schools offering families the opportunity to send their students to school rather than having to miss instruction by quarantining at home.
This week the district will be training staff from other elementary and middle schools in the program procedures with the intention of providing this opportunity at all elementary and middle schools. After this semester, the district plans to reevaluate and possibly expand to high school campuses in the new year.
For those who may not be familiar with the Test to Stay in School option, which the district developed in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Kentucky Department of Health, and the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department:
- This optional program allows students who are exposed to the virus in school-related settings only to continue to attend school IF:
- They are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, AND
- They test negative during free on-campus testing before school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
To learn more, check out the following resources at www.fcps.net/test2stay:
During the regular Core COVID Team discussion Tuesday, the district learned:
— Transportation and Child Nutrition Staffing: At this time, the district has only six vacancies in the child nutrition department, which is down from more than 50 openings in August. The district also has more than 30 individuals in various stages of training to become bus drivers.
— Vaccinations: Following the news that both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 5- to 11-year-old children, the district will be working with local and state health experts to determine next steps as appropriate.
