Week of 12/20: Heading into Break

 

Covid 19 related closures are taking a variety of forms and here are some examples:

• Prince George's County, MD school district, one of the nation's largest with over 200 schools, will be virtual from December 20th through January 14th. "Educators, administrators and support staff must be able to deliver in-person instruction and other activities in conditions that prioritize their own health, as well as the wellbeing of the school community," reads the release. 
• Hamtramck, MI public schools will be virtual for a week post-New Years.  "Out of an abundance of caution, we're implementing a week of virtual learning upon the break's end," writes the Superintendent.
• Dover Middle School, PA shifted to virtual learning December 17th. " In consultation with a Pennsylvania Department of Health epidemiologist, due to a drastic rise in COVID-19 cases and subsequent quarantining, the Dover Area Middle School will be shifting to virtual learning," reads the note. 
• In Mars Hill, ME the District reports ". . this week's pooled testing has resulted in five pools coming back positive. . . in addition to 4 other positive COVID cases. . . we will be transitioning to virtual instruction at the elementary school building beginning December 20th." 
• A group of schools in the Cleveland, OH district closed late this week amidst reports of staff illnesses and rising Covid 19 cases.  
• Estancia Municipal School District, NM closed early for break, December 15th.  "We will be evaluating Covid positivity data during the holidays," writes the district. 
• Oswego City School District, NY will be virtual from December 17th through the beginning of winter break.  "I am writing to share that due to a high number of staffing shortages (transportation, instructional and non-instructional staff) and a rise in COVID-19 cases (60 cases since Sunday of this week) and quarantines (75 current quarantines with additional pending cases so far this week) across the district, we will unfortunately be transitioning to remote – virtual instruction . . . " begins the communication
• St Louis Park, MN extended winter break to December 20th and 21st. "For the mental and physical health and wellbeing of all, the School Board unanimously approved a calendar modification adding two days to winter break in order for everyone to re-energize," reads the note. 

2. In recent weeks we have noted districts proactively scheduling full virtual days to better manage staffing issues and this week we decided to measure the trend to see if it will continue into 2022.   Nationwide, we have identified only 17 districts that have a combined total of over 500 schools that have added three or more pre-planned "virtual learning" days to their calendars for the second semester.   Seven districts are in Virginia, two in Oregon, and individual districts in other states.  This is a trend we will continue to monitor but it does not appear to be widespread at this point in time. 

 

Districts have also added half-day or early-release days, and those are a bit more difficult to monitor given the wide use of early release days in a typical year.   A recent example is Clovis Municipal Schools, NM adding 8 early-release dates that "will provide classroom teachers an additional 20 hours to accomplish professional tasks." Another is Queen Anne's County Public Schools, MD adding five half-days between now and May.  

 

3.On Friday the Centers for Disease Control endorsed Test to Stay as a strategy for keeping students in school.   Published case studies evaluating initiatives in Los Angeles County, CA and Lake County, IL describe preserving thousands of days in school for affected students and transmission rates among close contacts that ranged from 0.7% to 1.5%.

 

4.  In trends from around the country:

• The number of mask-optional districts in the Top 500 rose this week from 181 to 186, up from 107 on October 15th.   The number of mask optional districts in the Top 200 rose from 84 to 85. In Pennsylvania the State Supreme Court struck down the Governor's mask mandate and we have made the state green for "local flexibility" on the Mask Policy Tracker.
• In examples from across the country of holiday period precautions, El Centro Elementary School District, CA is offering at-home Covid 19 kits to families for winter break as are San Rafael City Schools, CA.   Fairport, NY school district is doing the same, as are East Lansing, MI schools. Dorchester, SC schools are offering Covid 19 testing across the entire winter break, as are Las Cruces, NM public schools. Chicago Public Schools announced plans to distribute 150,000 test kits in just over 300 schools right before break.
• In an ongoing dispute in Missouri between the attorney general and local districts, Columbia Public Schools, MO will no longer quarantine asymptomatic close contacts after legal threats from the state.  Conversely, Lee's Summit school district has retained counsel and is among districts in the state defying the orders. 
• Hartford, CT schools are introducing "Evening School,"  a credit recovery program for grades 11 & 12 featuring classes of 10-15 students and small group tutoring beginning in January.  We had earlier reported on Hartford's Saturday program. 
• Montgomery County, MD schools suspended non-athletic extracurricular activities through January 7th and Howard County, MD applied a variety of restrictions to athletic and other in-person extracurricular activities through January. 
• Hampton School District SAU 90, NH  offered a remote option to families for the period before and after the holiday break and 5% of students in grades K-8 will be participating.
• This note from Hickman Mills C-1 School District in Kansas City, MO reads "we would like to thank our community members who donated to the district, following the news that the district lost its main food vendor due to ongoing national supply chain issues. . . . ."