LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky's largest school district, Jefferson County Public Schools, returns to in-person instruction Wednesday, August 11. More than 90,000 students will head back to the classroom, beginning the new year as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio spoke to families right before school started, assuring them that the district is ready to handle whatever challenges come their way.
“It doesn’t mean there won’t be some unanticipated issues on the first day of school, but we’re doing our best to make sure our schools, including our virtual schools, are ready for students tomorrow,” he said.
The district said it will focus on addressing students' social and emotional needs during the first few days of school, reconnecting kids with staff members and making sure everyone feels safe.
Masks
The Jefferson County School Board voted to require masks for all students and staff - regardless of vaccination status - at the end of July, before Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear mandated masks for schools statewide.
“We are committed to providing the safest, healthiest environment possible for our students, teachers and staff,” Chris Perkins, JCPS chief operating officer, said in a release.
If a JCPS student or staff member doesn't have a mask for the first day of school, one will be provided for them. Masks will not be required outdoors on JCPS property, but are required on buses due to federal regulations.
Buses
More than 60,000 JCPS students take the bus to and from school each day. According to the district, they have more than 770 bus routes, which can get confusing.
To help avoid issues, JCPS has a Bus Hotline that families can call to get clarity on bus stop locations, what time a student will be picked up or dropped off and other issues.
Starting at 6 a.m., you can call 502-485-RIDE to get more information.
Quarantine and contact tracing
Students displaying symptoms of COVID-19 can receive a test at school with a parent or guardian's consent. If an unvaccinated student has been in contact with someone who tests positive ("in contact" defined as within three feet for 15 minutes or longer), the student will have to quarantine, even if they were wearing a mask.
Quarantined students will still be able to learn virtually through a program separate from the JCPS online Pathfinder School.
Vaccinated students who come into contact with someone who tests positive will not have to quarantine as long as they don't display any symptoms.
The district will update its COVID dashboard so families know what the spread in the school looks like. More information on the district's COVID-19 policies can be found here.
Virtual learning
While the state legislature passed a law that won't allow any school district to go fully virtual for an extended period of time, thousands of JCPS students have chosen to go to the online route this year.
The JCPS Pathfinder School of Innovation was open to everyone this year and nearly 3,000 students will start online Wednesday. The district said there was an increase in requests to join Pathfinder after JCPS announced its mask mandate.
District leaders said students who chose the online option will be held to the same academic standards as those attending in-person.
For more information on Jefferson County Public Schools, you can visit their website.
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