October 26, 2020 Update

Webmaster, October 26, 2020

October 26,2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

When students are in school for in-person instruction, the attached guidlines will be used to determine whether a student who is not feeling well can stay in school. Please review this carefully. Last week's new Klamath County COVID infection numbers were again low enough (13) to qualify to be the second consequitive week of acceptable numbers for bringing K-3 to school for in-person instruction. If county numbers are again below 21 this week, we will be able to start K-3 on Wednesday, November 4. I will let parents and staff know on Monday, November 2, whether this is possible. Last week's numbers were above 7; therefore last week did not qualify to be the first of there consequitive weeks of qualifying case numbers for grades 4-12. The earliest these grades could be back in school is Wednesday, November 18. 

Sincerely yours,

Paul Hillyer, KFCS Superintendent

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October 20, 2020

Dear Guardians,

Last week's Klamath County's new COVID case numbers were good news and bad news. First the good news: We met the required limit to start the three-week countdown that will allow grades K-3 to have in-person instruction. That means if the new COVID case numbers stay below 21 in Klamath County again for this week and for next week, students in K-3 could be in school the week of November 2. We would start the K-3 students on Wednesday, November 4, and let parents know either on Monday, November 2, or Tuesday, November 3, as to whether or not we can have in-person K-3 instruction starting on Wednesday, November 4.

The bad news is the Klamath County new case numbers last week were still too high to begin the three-week count down for having grades 4-12 back in school school. Now the earliest date for that to happen is the week of November 9. Again we would let parents know as early as possible that week if it will be possible to start in-person instruction on Thursday, November 12.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Paul Hillyer, KFCS Superintendent

 KFCS News Flash Link: Information You Need to Know 10/9/2020

Additional Note:

If you are confused about what it takes to have students be able to be in school for regular in-person learning, here is an explanation:

To start grades K-3 in person we must have 21 or fewer new cases per week for 3 consecutive weeks in Klamath County. We also must have a 5% or less positivity rate on COVID tests in the county for those weeks to qualify. For grades 4-12 to start in person we must have 7 or fewer new cases per week for three consecutive weeks along with a 5% or less positivity rate in the county and the state for those weeks. 

The Klamath County schools have some K-3 in person learning happening two days per week per student since they chose to do this from the start of the school year. It is easier to keep students in school once they are there than it is to qualify to get them in school if they are not currently doing in-person classes. Some of their rural and remote schools have been given an exception from the state to have in-person learning though our county metrics are not favorable.  

We do have some students coming in now for some limited in-person learning for special purposes. This does not replace, however, their comprehensive distance learning instruction.