The Kansas City, Kansas, school board is discussing COVID-19 testing for employees who are not vaccinated.
The board did not come to any conclusion or recommendation at the Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 7, meeting, but it could take up the matter again later, according to board president, Randy Lopez.
The KCK school district’s COVID-19 dashboard, https://kckps.org/covid-19-dashboard/, showed that on Sept. 1, the district had 320 students quarantined, 110 confirmed student cases, nine staff quarantined, and 21 confirmed staff cases.
Under the district’s policy, those who have been exposed to COVID and who are vaccinated do not have to be quarantined, if they have no symptoms. Also, if they were correctly wearing masks, they do not need to be quarantined. Testing is recommended.
Quarantines are for those who are unvaccinated and don’t have symptoms but have been exposed to COVID-19, according to the district’s website. Isolation is for people who have symptoms and have been diagnosed with COVID-19. (It is explained in greater detail at https://kckps.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/simplestaffstudent-doublesided-9.2.21.pdf.)
Dr. Anna Stubblefield, superintendent, said they are seeing other districts and organizations pivoting to do what they can to create safe environments. She said staff, board members and community members have asked where the district stood on the question of requiring vaccinations.
The Kansas City, Missouri, school district has required vaccinations or weekly testing, and the Unified Government has a similar requirement, she said.
Also, Dr. Stubblefield said the KCK district now is adjusting its quarantine from 14 days to 10 days to be in alignment with other school districts and the Health Department.
Lopez said he and Dr. Stubblefield had some discussions on the topic of a vaccine and testing policy and wanted to find out what the board thought about the topic. The goal is to keep the students and staff as safe as possible, he said.
Dr. Valdenia Winn, a board member, said she would support a policy for staff to either have a vaccination or get a COVID-19 test weekly.
She asked how many staff members in District 500 were unvaccinated.
Dr. Stubblefield said she didn’t know the number. When the district has positive cases, in order for them not to have to quarantine, the employees show proof of vaccination to the nurse coordinator, she said. However, she doesn’t think the district is collecting that information, she added. If they did collect it, they would have to keep it in a separate file from the personnel file, she said, to protect privacy.
Dr. Winn said opportunities have been provided at some of the district’s schools to get a free vaccine.
Wanda Brownlee Paige, a board member, said she would support a staff vaccination and testing policy.
“I think it’s critical because our state Legislature has mandated we can’t go back to virtual, only in a limited form. So we want to make sure the kids are here and learning. All of us need to do whatever we can to make sure everyone is safe and secure,” Paige said.
They know the students have lost quite a bit, so they’re trying to make it up, she said. According to the Legislature, they can’t do virtual learning, so the district has to keep everyone safe, she added. Whatever the staff role is, the district wants the employee to be there at work, she said.
Janey Humphries, a board member, wanted to know what would be the effect of instituting this policy, if there is already a high number of staff vaccinated, and would it make any difference.
Dr. Stubblefield said if they found they had a high number of staff vaccinated, that would be great. The proposed vaccination or testing policy would let the district know if those who are not vaccinated are asymptomatic, coming into school and possibly spreading the virus, she said. It would also let the district know what it is facing when looking at quarantines, she added. The district would be able to have better accountability, and the testing might indicate how the virus is spreading.
Yolanda Clark, board vice president, said she would be able to support a policy for vaccination or weekly testing. However, she would struggle with mandating that the staff be vaccinated, she added.
Dr. Stacy Yeager, a board member, asked if most of the cases seemed to be coming from students or from teachers.
Dr. Stubblefield said there have been some positive cases where staff had to quarantine because of close contacts and they had not been vaccinated.
At the Kansas City, Missouri, school district and UG, the vaccinated staff members do not have to use their personal leave time if they are required to quarantine, and unvaccinated employees do have to use their personal leave time, Dr. Stubblefield said. Typically, if employees are quarantined, they are not vaccinated and in close contact with a positive case.
“We’ve asked our teachers to do so much, in addition, they worked when the vaccine was not available,” Dr. Yeager said. “I’m not in support of mandating a vaccine for our staff, I believe it’s a personal choice. I don’t feel we should impact their leave or anything different, or ‘have a penalty’ for not being vaccinated.”
Also, she said it’s important to listen to the policymakers and those who are over the schools to determine if the vaccine mandatory requirements are for students or for staff, she said. She would not support a mandatory vaccine, she said.
“Sometimes we make decisions based on what other people are doing, that may or may not work for us,” she said. Would substitutes or bus drivers be required to have a vaccine, she asked.
Later in the meeting, it was stated by a board member that the proposal would be for all employees; however, the board didn’t have a written proposal in the agenda at this time.
Board member Maxine Drew said the board needs to meet in a closed, executive session, and then come out with a unified decision on this policy issue.
Paige said it’s good the school board is discussing this issue openly, because people need to know. She keeps getting questions about whether they’re going to close down the schools, and answers no, the Legislature is not allowing virtual education. Anyone who comes into contact with the kids should be in the policy, according to Paige.
“We all need to be safe,” Paige said.
Dr. Yeager said sports was a big issue. Last year surrounding school districts did not shut down, and kept school and sports going. A lot of parents were upset that KCK canceled sports, she added.
“How are we insuring we’re giving our kids a fair advantage in that area,” Dr. Yeager asked.
Dr. Stubblefield said several school districts are doing a “test to play” policy. If students test positive, the close contacts have to be tested. If negative, the students are allowed to play.
Dr. Stubblefield said the district is building the capacity for surveillance testing in the schools.
Dr. Yeager said the board needs more information on policies, including those of surrounding school districts, to help them make informed decisions.
In general, according to Dr. Stubblefield, a team has to cancel if there are a number of students quarantined and it does not have enough team members left to compete.
Humphries asked for more information on the process of testing, including what days they would be tested on. She said it appears this proposed policy is not taking the choice to get vaccinated away from employees.
Paige said last year, with COVID cases between 40 and 50, the district shut down in-person learning. Currently, at 42 cases a day, it is still disturbing, Paige said.
“Our numbers were extremely high last year, and that’s why we shut it down,” she said. Districts around America have been shut down now, she added.
Dr. Yeager asked for comparisons within Wyandotte County, and said Piper, Turner and Bonner Springs all held games.
“We’ve been very consistent in how we approached the pandemic, and always saying our students and staff safety comes first,” Lopez said.
He applauded the board for always wanting to protect the students.
He outlined the board’s concerns, including more information, a timeline, policy language, keeping the staff as safe as they can be, and the potential effect on the staff, including shortage of staff. He said they should speak to the NEA and receive their opinions as well.
Paige said the least thing the district can afford now is for more people to get sick. Assistant principals are helping out, teaching classes, and Paige commended them for stepping up and filling the void. But she asked who will replace them, as they’re running out of people to fill the gaps.
Dr. Yeager asked how much it would cost the district to get N95 masks to protect people at a higher level. Humphries asked if that would make a difference.
Dr. Winn said the proposed policy has a personal choice. With the new variants, it needs to be presented as Paige stated, she said. By wanting to vaccinate as many staff and students as possible, you’re not invading anybody’s personal choice or privacy, she said. For those who don’t participate in vaccinations, there has to be the other side, a weekly test, she said.
Dr. Stubblefield said in response to a question from Paige that there is state funding available to pay for the tests if the district requires them. She said she could bring back details for the board at a later date on the process.
Dr. Yeager said she would like to track if the COVID-19 case was from a student or teacher. Dr. Stubblefield said some of the information can’t be given at the building level because it might identify individuals. However, they could get information on the totals for the district.
Clark asked about the policy and procedure on who is required to be quarantined, and Dr. Stubblefield said this information is available on the district’s website.
The school board meeting is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7WCxCbfsx8.
Vaccines, tests available
COVID-19 testing will continue on Wednesday, Sept. 8, in Wyandotte County.
The former Kmart building at 7836 State Ave., a Unified Government Health Department vaccination site, will be open for testing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and for free COVID-19 vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. There are incentives being offered for Wyandotte County residents, while supplies last.
Mobile vaccines can be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311). For more information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.
COVID-19 vaccines and tests are available at other locations in Wyandotte County, including some pharmacies. For locations and availability, visit www.vaccines.gov.
COVID-19 testing from WellHealth will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, and through Friday at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th. The site is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Free vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public, and appointments are required. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
Free testing is also available from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays at Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, 4313 State Ave.
The Village Initiative, 3004 N. 27th St., Kansas City, Kansas, is sponsoring COVID-19 testing every other Wednesday. The next testing is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 8. Along with the COVID-19 testing, there will be a food giveaway. There will be $20 gift cards to members of the community that receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Appointments are not required.
Case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported 106 total COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, Sept. 7, an increase of three since Friday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Fifty-nine patients with the active virus were inpatients on Tuesday, an increase of four from Friday. Only 10 of the 59 were fully vaccinated. Three patients at the hospital died on Monday, bringing the total of deaths to 503 at the hospital since the pandemic began. Most of the deaths were among the unvaccinated. Seventeen COVID patients were in the intensive care unit on Tuesday, an increase of one from Friday. Eleven patients were on ventilators, a decrease of one. Forty-seven other patients were still hospitalized from COVID, but were out of the acute infection phase, a decrease of one since Friday.
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 22,981 cases on Tuesday, Sept. 7, an increase of 246 cases since Friday, Sept. 3, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative total of 338 deaths on Tuesday, an increase of three deaths since Friday.
On Wednesday, Sept. 1, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 46.66 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 39.84 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 57.4 percent.
The Mid-America Regional Council reported 202,286 cases in Greater Kansas City, a nine-county area. There were a total of 2,726 deaths. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 123.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 377,123 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, Sept. 3, an increase of 4,952 since Wednesday, Sept. 1. There was a total of 5,630 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 49 since Sept. 1.
The KDHE reported 70,526 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on Sept.3, an increase of 465 since Sept. 1. Leavenworth County had 9,234 cases on Sept. 3, an increase of 72 since Sept. 1. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 68,486 cases on Sept. 3, an increase of 1,086 since Sept. 1.
On Friday, the KHDE reported 10,637 cumulative cases in Douglas County (the Lawrence area), an increase of 83 since Wednesday. Riley County (the Manhattan area) had 7,176 cumulative cases, an increase of 40. Shawnee County (the Topeka area) had 22,437 cumulative cases, an increase of 302 cases.
On Tuesday afternoon, there were a cumulative 40,221,535 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with a cumulative 650,274 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Links
Visit gogettested.com/Kansas and https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19 for more testing sites.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.
To view the mask order in Kansas City, Kansas, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/mask-mandate-resolution-r-47-21-effective-august-6-through-september-16-2021.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/ug-issues-mask-order-for-kck-and-other-portions-of-wyco.pdf.