By the time this paper is delivered, we expect to know more about what will happen to our schools this fall for the plans seem to be in flux. On Monday, Gov. Laura Kelly issued two executive orders related to the start of the school year in Kansas that will impact more than 519,000 elementary, middle and high school students, teachers, staff and administrators.
Kelly’s first executive order is an attempt to delay the reopening of schools until after Labor Day. Her second order – which was signed Monday and does not need approval – will make COVID-19 prevention recommendations, such as face coverings and temperature checks, approved by the Kansas Board of Education mandatory that all school districts must follow.
Now the big question is whether the Kansas State Board of Education will scuttle Kelly’s plans to delay the reopening.
The elected, 10-member state board of education can block Kelly’s plan under a law enacted last month as a compromise between Kelly, a Democrat, and a GOP-controlled Legislature often critical of her handling of the pandemic.
When this newspaper went to press on Tuesday, the education board was planning to meet about the governor’s
order for pushing the start of school back on Wednesday. A 24-hour public comment will be allowed once the executive orders are released.
Kelly said she did not sign that executive order on Monday but would do so after the board of education makes its decision.
Kelly said she couldn’t afford to let schools reopen while the coronavirus was spreading.
“The additional three weeks will provide schools time to get masks, thermometers, hand sanitizer and other necessary COVID-19 mitigation supplies,” Kelly said last Wednesday in a news conference at the state capitol. “I can’t in good conscience open schools when Kansas has numerous hot spots, where cases are at an all-time high and continuing to rapidly rise. We can’t risk the lives of our teachers, administrators, custodians, our students and their parents.”
On Monday, Kelly said executive order 2058 would delay schools from beginning any student instruction from Aug. 10 through Sept. 8. The order would include athletics and all other extracurricular activities.
Kelly’s announcement last week came only hours after the state board of education approved 1,100 pages of guidelines for reopening K-12 schools safely, including recommendations for all staff to wear masks, as well as students in middle and high school.
But the guidelines weren’t mandates, reflecting the state’s longstanding tradition of leaving decisions about building operations to local school boards. However, Kelly said her order signed Monday makes the guidelines a requirement.
“Executive Order 2059 will mandate face coverings for all students, faculty, staff, vendors and other visitors to public or private K-12 school buildings or facilities,” Kelly said. “Exceptions will be made for consumption of food and beverages, activities that cannot safely be conducted with a mask, other face covering or children who are not students, and are under five years of age.
“The executive order will mandate six feet social distancing except for in-person instruction in classrooms when masks, or other face coverings are worn. The order will also require hand sanitizer in all classrooms, and that all students and faculty must sanitize their hands, no less than once every hour. All individuals entering the school building must have their temperatures checked before they enter the building for the first time, every day.”
Republicans have an 8-2 majority on the state board and will eventually make the decision on when the start of school happens.
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