Despite football teams in quarantine, Olathe allows players to return to classrooms
Reversing an earlier decision, the Olathe district will allow high schoolers to return to classrooms on Monday, even if they participate in football or other high-risk activities, the school board decided at a special meeting Wednesday morning.
The unanimous vote came after the district reported 25 new COVID-19 cases among students last week and instructed 174 athletes to quarantine due to exposures. The Olathe South and Olathe Northwest football teams have canceled their games.
Earlier this school year, the board decided to allow high-risk sports as long participants stuck to online classes and did not enter classrooms.
Since school started in September, all students in Olathe middle schools and high schools have been learning online only. They will be allowed to learn in person, part time, starting next week. Elementary students continue to take in-person classes, full time.
Before joining his colleagues in voting to allow athletes to enter classrooms as well, one school board member, Brad Boyd, said he was hesitant to roll back the restriction.
“I think we have the responsibility to keep our students and our staff safe. And if there’s an issue or if we need to go back and look at how we are educating our football players in this time of COVID, I think that’s what needs to happen, versus increasing this exposure,” Boyd said. “By getting rid of this requirement, and that students in these activities are just allowed back into the classroom, I don’t think that’s responsible.”
Hundreds of parents continue to protest, arguing for all students to return to learning in classrooms, five days a week. Many celebrated the district’s decision to allow their athletes to return to in-person classes. Others continue to push for a more cautious approach, worried about the spread of COVID-19 in schools and in the community.
Other districts in Johnson County are allowing student-athletes to return to in-person classes as well. But health experts are clear that students participating in close-contact sports and activities increase the risk of bringing coronavirus into school buildings.
Students who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case will be asked to complete a 14-day quarantine before returning to classrooms.
The Johnson County health department previously warned against high-school sports continuing while transmission of the virus remains high. School districts decided to go against that advice.
Then earlier this month, the county released updated guidance, which relaxed recommendations for when older students can return to classrooms. In the new criteria, officials also removed advice on when to allow sports.
The new guidance states that sports and other high-risk activities, like band and choir, should require masks, social distancing, symptom screening and preventative testing. Districts have implemented these safety precautions. But the health department also suggests “cohorting” groups of players together, to limit interactions with other students.
Health officials in Wyandotte County also recommend cohorting for athletes. In guidance released last month, the officials said they should learn in the same classroom, or should all learn online.
“Our top priority in Wyandotte County is to allow our children to learn safely in an in-person environment,” said Allen Greiner, chief medical officer with the Unified Government. “(The) recommendations are our best effort to maintain safe in-person learning for the majority of students, while also creating a pathway for student-athletes to continue with both their education and their athletic pursuits.”
In Kansas City, Kansas, schools, that hasn’t been an issue. The district has required all students to learn online only, but the school board voted Tuesday to begin bringing them back into classrooms in January. Other Wyandotte County districts have allowed students in classrooms in some form.
KCK moved fall sports to the spring, but athletes have been allowed to resume sports conditioning, though.
Johnson County districts, where more students are returning to classrooms, are not following the cohorting guidance. The Blue Valley district allowed older students to return to classrooms part time on Monday. Next week, Olathe will do the same. And Shawnee Mission plans to follow suit on Oct. 26.
“Keeping people in small, stable groups, including athletes, can help mitigate the spread. It is up to each school district to decide the mode of learning that is best for their staff and families,” said Sanmi Areola, county health director.
In Johnson County, there have been several COVID-19 outbreaks among high school sports teams and in school buildings.
Last week, in addition to the 25 new COVID-19 cases among students, the district reported 11 new cases among staff members. And along with the 174 students who are quarantined, 54 employees were instructed to quarantine last week.
“In the past week, there have been four individuals test positive for COVID-19. Due to the high levels of exposure in interplay, practices and scrimmages, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment determined that 174 student athletes needed to quarantine,” district spokesman Cody Kennedy said. “At this point, we are working closely with all student athletes and the JCDHE in order to resume activities in a safe manner.”
As of Wednesday morning, Johnson County had reported 12,488 coronavirus cases, an increase of 1,353 in the past 14 days. The county reports that 171 residents have died from the virus.
This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 2:11 PM.
