FCPS mask protocols to remain in place rest of school year

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Fayette County Public Schools current mask protocols will remain in place for the rest of the school year, according to Acting Superintendent Marlene Helm.

That means all students and adults, with the exception of those who have a medical exemption or ARC-determined exemption, are required to wear masks while on school property.

Helm also says graduations are expected to go on as planned at Rupp Arena and in-person instruction is expected to continue through the end of the school year.

She also reported the district’s coronavirus quarantine number of 430 is a three-week low.  Helm also reported the number of cases among students and staff was at 41 in the past week.

The district also announced a COVID-19 vaccination opportunity at STEAM Academy on Thursday, May 13, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  The academy is located at 1555 Georgetown Road.  It’s open to families, students and staff.  Participants must make an appointment.  To register, click here.

Stakeholders are also invited to sign-up for coronavirus vaccination appointments at Bryan Station, Frederick Douglass, Henry Clay, Lafayette, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Tates Creek high schools on May 18, 2021.

Marlene Helm’s letter home to parents on Tuesday is below:

Dear Fayette County Public Schools Families:

With just two Tuesdays left in the school year, COVID-19 cases in our community are holding steady. The current 7-day average of new cases in Fayette County is 37, keeping us in orange on the FCPS In-Person Learning Matrix.

After an uptick last week, positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff are down to 41 in the past week and the number of individuals placed into quarantine due to possible exposure is at a three-week low of 430.

We remain on track to complete the school year in person and celebrate our Class of 2021 in Rupp Arena.

During our meeting today with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, we talked at length about the evolving guidance regarding outdoor mask use from the Governor, Kentucky Department of Education, and Centers for Disease Control.

In the end, we determined that our current mask protocols will remain in place for the rest of the school year. That means all students and adults (with the exception of those who have a medical exemption or ARC-determined exemption) are required to wear masks while on school property.

Many of our schools already allow students to be outdoors without masks as long as they are with their cohort. CDC guidance remains clear that those who are not fully vaccinated (which includes most of our students) should continue wearing a mask. We will revisit these guidelines for summer activities.

In closing, I want to make families, students and employees aware of another COVID-19 vaccination opportunity at one of our schools. Appointments are available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 13, at STEAM Academy, located at 1555 Georgetown Road. To register, visit kyvax.wildhealth.com. Stakeholders are also invited to sign up for appointments at Bryan Station, Frederick Douglass, Henry Clay, Lafayette, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Tates Creek high schools on May 18.

Thank you once again for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Marlene Helm

Fayette County Public Schools Acting Superintendent