Month: July 2020

Piper school board approves reopening date of Sept. 9

The Piper school board tonight unanimously approved a school opening date of Sept. 9.

The school calendar that was approved will end the school year on May 27 and will build in time for snow days, according to Superintendent Jessica Dain at a Zoom board meeting. There will be five minutes added to the end of the school day, and also, there will be one less paid personal day.

Dr. Dain told the Piper board that they heard today about 3 p.m. from the Unified Government about a health order to delay the start of school until after Labor Day. Since it was a decision made by the county, it wasn’t a decision that the board needs to make, she said.

Schools may open at 50 percent of capacity, according to the fire marshal’s capacity figures for the building, she said.

Dr. Dain presented a plan that will allow parents to choose between two options for their children, either a hybrid plan or a remote plan. Dr. Dain said each school district here will have its own different plan.

Those Piper students in the hybrid plan will spend part of the time in school buildings and part of the time at home. There will be distancing at school. Those choosing the remote plan are to spend time doing their school work at home, through online resources. There will be a regular schedule of classes for the day, and attendance will be taken.

The district’s plan still will need to be reviewed by the Unified Government Health Department before it is approved, she said.

More than 100 persons, including educators, staff and parents, came together to work on the plan, she said.

Starting Tuesday, July 28, emails will be sent to parents so they can choose either the hybrid or remote option, she added. Parents should respond by Aug. 4.

All of the options will be open only to persons who live in the Piper school district boundaries, and who enroll their students, she said.

Students in either option will be able to participate in any activities and sports that are offered, following county health guidelines, she added.

In other action, the board approved the date for the budget hearing at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at Piper East School, 4410 N. 107th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

According to Piper officials, the proposed budget is basically a flat mill levy, with only two-hundredths of a mill difference compared to last year. In the Piper district, the assessed valuation went down a little this year, according to officials. The estimated tax rate is 57.138 mills for the 2020-2021 year.

The Piper reopening plan, around 40 pages, was posted tonight on the Piper school district website at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x_Z1W_3Ej6LGZKOv7_PIH9B5hL-FijAg/view.

To see the Piper board meeting, which has more information about the Piper school reopening plan and more information about the proposed budget, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg27rnI5gS0.

Kansas could go backwards to Phase 2 of reopening plan, governor says

Kansas reported 26,172 COVID-19 cases on Monday morning, including 335 total cumulative deaths. There were 1,063 new cases and nine new deaths since Friday. (From Kansas Department of Health and Environment)
Wyandotte County reported 4,095 total cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday, with 92 deaths. It was an increase of 30 cases since Sunday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There was one additional death since Sunday. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)

Kansas could go backwards to Phase 2 of reopening plan if the number of COVID-19 cases don’t start looking better, according to Gov. Laura Kelly.

In a news conference on Monday afternoon, Gov. Kelly said COVID-19 case numbers had risen in recent weeks, and she urged people to wear masks. She also said some counties now have reversed earlier votes against requiring masks.

“If we continue this trajectory, I will have no other choice but to recommend that we move back to Phase 2 of the Ad Astra plan to reopen Kansas by next week,” Gov. Kelly said.

Wyandotte County and the state currently are in Phase 3. The plan is mandatory in Wyandotte County but not in all other counties in the state.

In Phase 2, mass gatherings are limited to 15 people, and bars and nightclubs would need to close, Gov. Kelly said.

“I do not want to go backwards,” she said. “We can and we must do better.”

Kansas reported 26,172 COVID-19 cases on Monday morning, including 335 total cumulative deaths, she said. There were 1,063 new cases and nine new deaths since Friday, she added.

“Our numbers are at an all-time high,” Gov. Kelly said. Last week, the Kansas City metro area recorded more than 400 new COVID-19 cases each day, four days in a row, she said.

The average age of patients is decreasing in Wichita hospitals, Gov. Kelly said. The median age dropped from 64 in April to 52 currently in Wichita hospitals.

The average age of all COVID-19 patients in Kansas is now 37, according to KDHE statistics, she said. It’s getting younger all the time.

As of Monday, 103 of 105 counties had at least one positive case, she said. The number of cases is rising in the counties surrounding Wichita now, she added.

Gov. Kelly said elected leaders in Kansas cannot sit back and do nothing. It is not a partisan issue, she said.

Recently, in Ohio and Indiana, Republican governors decided to mandate masks statewide, because it works and minimizes transmission of the virus, she said.

Gov. Kelly said they would monitor the situation this week, and then make a decision on whether to move back to Phase 2 next week.

Wyandotte County reported 4,095 total cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday, with 92 deaths. It was an increase of 30 cases since Sunday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There was one additional death since Sunday.

Johnson County reported 4,643 total cumulative cases on Monday morning, as compared to 4,381 cases on Friday morning, an increase of 262 cases, according to KDHE figures.

Leavenworth County had 1,392 cases Monday, according to KDHE figures, compared to 1,372 on Friday, an increase of 20 cases.

Miami County reported 108 cases on Monday, up from 96 on Friday, the KDHE stated.

Sedgwick County (Wichita area) had 3,816 cases on Monday, compared to 3,579 cases on Friday, an increase of 237.

Shawnee County (Topeka area) reported 1,324 cases on Monday, compared to 1,268 on Friday.

Douglas County (Lawrence area) is now at 616 cases, while Riley County (Manhattan area) is at 409 cases, according to the KDHE statistics.

On Friday afternoon, the Kansas Department of Corrections announced that one resident at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility and five residents at the El Dorado Correctional Facility have tested positive for COVID-19. Six men were moved to Lansing Correctional Facility, to a newer facility equipped to control COVID-19, according to a spokesman. Four additional men in El Dorado facility, who were roommates of those who tested positive, also were moved to Lansing Correctional Facility, according to a news release.

The governor’s news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/1631147850397113.

Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.

COVID-19 data for the metro area is on the KC Region COVID-19 Resource Hub at http://marc-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/1c93961075454558b3bf0dfad014feae

For information on the amended Wyandotte County mask order, visit https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020MaskOrderAmendments.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020LocalHealthOfficerOrderMaskAmendments.pdf.


The value of social distancing and wearing a mask was demonstrated by the KU doctors, who went into a walk-in freezer to show how far the virus and breath can spread. Masks stopped the breath and particles from spreading. To see the video, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/2378490412455079.


For information on how to make an easy no-sew mask, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/how-to-make-a-no-sew-cloth-mask/.

The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.


Wyandotte County is currently under Phase 3. See covid.ks.gov.


The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.

The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Health Department issues order prohibiting public school buildings from opening before Labor Day

Hours before the Piper school board is to consider what date to reopen schools, the Wyandotte County Health Department has issued a new order prohibiting public school buildings from opening to in-person classes before Labor Day.

The Piper superintendent is scheduled to present a proposal to the school board tonight to open after Labor Day, with a hybrid and a remote learning model, according to the school district’s social media page.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools already have announced they won’t open until after Labor Day, and they will have nine weeks of remote learning when they open. The KCK school board voted on it last week.

According to a Unified Government Health Department news release, Dr. Allen Greiner, Wyandotte County chief medical officer, issued the new order to ensure educators have sufficient time to prepare for school reopening.

The new order stated that school buildings would not open until after Labor Day, Sept. 7, in Wyandotte County. The order will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. July 28 and remain in effect until COVID-19 pandemic conditions warrant a change in Wyandotte County.

Under the health order, school districts will be required to submit their plans for reopening to the Health Department for approval.

According to the news release, today’s move comes in response to growing concerns about the health and safety of school-aged children, young adults, and their teachers. It is also in response to the dramatic increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases seen throughout the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area and safety concerns voiced by local leaders and parents, according to the spokesman.

“Last month, we worked closely with our local schools to start planning for the 2020-2021 school year,” said Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy medical officer with the Unified Government’s Public Health Department. “A committee of educators from schools across our county have collaborated with public health experts to develop standards for each re-opening phase of our schools, as part of the ReStart WyCo Plan. We are still fighting to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our community, and we could find ourselves at different re-opening phases over the course of the school year. This additional guidance will help our schools keep their students, faculty, and staff as safe as possible, no matter what reopening phase we are in.”

The new health order is an extension of previous guidance, and it applies to public schools within Wyandotte County’s jurisdiction. This includes:
• Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District (USD 204)
• Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools (USD 500)
• Piper School District (USD 203)
• Turner Unified School District (USD 202)

“The decision to prohibit schools from opening to in-person classes until after September 7 was not made lightly, as we know that in-person socialization plays an important role in the longer-term positive health impacts on individuals and our community as a whole,” Dr. Greiner said. “This order was issued to protect our children, young adults, teachers, and those populations most vulnerable to COVID-19 in Wyandotte County. This order does not prohibit distance learning, so all schools may resume virtual classes as soon as they would like.”

While subject to amendment if future medical data requires enhanced measures, this order mandates the following:

• All schoolchildren and educators must wear masks while inside and in outdoor groups at all times. Masks must be worn outdoors when 6 feet distance cannot be maintained, otherwise, masks wearing may be temporarily relaxed.

• Hand sanitizer should be used by students and teachers several times daily

• Social distancing of at least 6 feet between children and educators should be maintained.

• Cohorting should be ensured at every grade level, such that grades will be siloed with one or a small number of educator/supervisor during class sessions.

• The use of outdoor space as much as possible for coursework learning, physical education, music and singing is encouraged. Social distance of 6 feet or more must be maintained when outdoors. Masks must be worn outdoors when 6ft social distance cannot be maintained.

• Children should be cohorted, but they also must be physically spaced out throughout entire buildings/facilities/campuses so that schools achieve 50% less density of students in available spaces. Schools may use multiple methods to achieve 50% less density of students in the physical spaces they have available to them – This does not necessarily mean that there are half as many kids in attendance, rather it can be the same number of kids but spaced out into twice the total amount of space that would typically be utilized.

This may be achieved creatively such as examples below, or other suggestions will be accepted as well:


– 1st – 7th graders back to school full-time, 8th – 12th grade distance learning full-time;

– Children spaced within the school such that non-traditional spaces may be used as educational space such as gymnasiums, group rooms, band/singing rooms, etc.; or
– cohort A and B rotate days physically present at the school – i.e. every other day schooling.

School districts in Wyandotte County will be required to submit their plan to comply with the health department for approval before implementation in the schools.

Additional data and resources on COVID-19 in Wyandotte County is at wycokck.org/COVID-19 or call 3-1-1.

The new health order is online at file:///C:/Users/mer-pro/Downloads/07272020_LocalHealthOrderRegardingPublicSchoolsOpening%20(1).pdf.