LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. — The Lincoln County Health Department is recommending all schools within their county, start the school year in as virtual of an environment as possible.
At this time the Winfield School District has announced that they will not be offering in-person instruction for the first quarter. The district’s hope is that positive COVID-19 cases decline by the end of first quarter which is expected to end Oct. 16th. A detailed building level plan will be communicated to each of their parents in the coming days that will include how students and families will access devices, curriculum and other needs. Additionally, the start date of the school’s calendar year will be moved to Sept. 8 which will allow for additional training to their teaching staff in regard to offering a full virtual instruction platform for their students.
Here is the full release from the health department…
Lincoln County is currently experiencing a sustained increase in COVID-19 cases that result from community transmission. This growth trend has continued over several weeks, and epidemiological signs point to the level of transmission continuing to either increase or remain high for several more. While we have issued recommendations in our community to help contain the spread of the virus and prevent more serious negative health, social, and economic outcomes, we have not seen universal adoption of such measures and it will take several weeks in order to see any benefits once/if preventive measures are adopted.
Given the fact that most Lincoln County schools are scheduled to begin their school year in just a few weeks, it is unlikely that the spread of virus will be adequately controlled without the risk of significant outbreaks. Therefore, it is the formal recommendation of the Lincoln County Health Department that all schools start the school year in as virtual of an environment as possible to protect the health of students, staff, and families.
This is a recommendation and not a mandate and will remain as such unless changes in local circumstances related to the pandemic or further guidance from state or national levels warrants the enactment of an official mandate. While some school leaders have indicated that changes in district and building logistics would be dependent on mandates from the local health authority, at this time Lincoln County Health Department does not believe that a blanket mandate will be in the best interest of all local schools and districts in making the best choices for their unique student and staff populations. We realize that not all types of learning are as effective in a virtual environment and want to preserve the option for in-person instruction as each school sees fit and practical.
Lincoln County Health Department has the highest respect for every superintendent and school leader and the decisions they make to protect both education and health. We will provide continuous and full support to every district and school, regardless of whether they are virtual.
We support school leaders who have chosen to open their schools more widely and know that they are working with available recommendations to increase safety. However, it is important to remember that outbreaks in the school setting may force the closure of buildings, in spite of these efforts.
Like all actions during this pandemic, there are significant consequences to the decision to open or close schools and we are not blind to those effects. We will continue to work on ways to help our community through this difficult time. The Lincoln County Health Department supports every school leader in the decisions that they are making to explore all virtual options for instruction while balancing the needs of their unique community.
The Lincoln County Health Department has provided support to schools throughout the pandemic, sharing information and knowledge about how to minimize risk and opportunities for transmission in school settings. Every member of the team has been focused on how to open schools and keep children and adults safe. We appreciate the extraordinary efforts school officials have and continue to make to these same ends. Despite the thoughtful and proactive planning that many have worked on these past months, the current level of community transmission poses the largest risk to the safety of our schools. Many of the recommended behaviors such as mask wearing, social distancing, and avoiding crowds are not yet being universally adopted in our community. Even businesses and organizations that have done thorough cleanings and been vigilant in their social distancing practices have had outbreaks due to the nature of this virus.
Lincoln County Health Department will continue to partner with school leaders to monitor changes in the data and in community adherence to social distancing, masking, and other precautions. We will remain focused on our hope to see students in school receiving education and we will share all available information to help make those decisions together as we move forward.
As of 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6th Lincoln County has 129 active COVID-19 cases.