By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks noted that there was an issue in the district with COVID-19 spread when the decision was made to go full remote, in addition to the issue in the community.
"When we made that decision on Friday, we had 22 positive cases," Folks said Tuesday. "I think right now, we're maybe at 24. We do have one particular building that has 12 staff members that have been excluded or are under quarantine. It would have made that building very difficult to have in person school this week."
Folks notes that it isn't just about the school district, though.
"That's less than 1% of our total population, actually its below a half a percent," Folks said. "But, when you look at what's going on in the county, this is a countywide issue. This is not just a school issue or a 308 issue, when we talk about the transmission and the spread of this virus."
The district is considering a super-hybrid model to try to get class sizes down to maintainable cohort groups to get kids back in school as soon as possible.
"We got to the red category much quicker than we anticipated," Folks said. "Our executive team here in the central office, we've been meeting for the last week or two, three or four hours a day. All of the principals are coming in tomorrow. We're going to meet with them and then we're going to make a presentation to the board next Monday on October 26th."
That presentation would need board approval to change the criteria from current policy.