Gating Criteria Follow-Up: SMSD addresses why students stay in school with climbing COVID cases

As of Nov. 10, the district has entered the “red zone” on their gating criteria restrictions and have far exceeded the allotted amount of COVID cases that were previously set to continue learning in-person

Within Johnson County, according to Johnson County’s COVID-19 Dashboard, there are currently 608 cases per 100,000 people — meaning students should be learning remote as the number allowed is 521. However, 14.3% of Johnson County residents have tested positive and students in the SMSD district remain in-person until exceeding 15%.

The gating criteria was re-evaluated by the district on Oct. 1 in attempt to provide more accurate statistics, according to SMSD Director of Health Services Shelby Rebeck. Rebeck said that when the district relied solely on the percent positive data, most of the people getting tested were sick or exposed — spiking the percentage of positive cases.

Originally, the district was only following percent positives and upon reaching 15% students would go remote. But that criteria has been adjusted and a new statistic is considered — the number of new cases per 100,000 people. 

“While [Johnson County Department of Health and Environment] was clear that the cases per 100,000 was the key data point, they also stated there would be other data to be considered — like a district’s ability to contact trace, our ability to adhere to mitigating measures like masking and social distancing in schools, hospitalization data, etc.,” Rebeck said.

Senior Ellie Freeman feels that it’s irresponsible to have school in-person while still in the red zone of the previous gating criteria.

“It’s easier for the teachers to teach in-person but it’s not safe,” Freeman said. “I would like [the district] to do what they said they would do at the beginning of the year. I would like them to be like, ‘We have gone way in the red zone and way past what we originally said we would do.’”

Amidst all of the confusion of changing guidelines and concerns from students, parents and teachers, Rebeck reassures the district’s interest and commitment to safety and health. 

“SMSD leadership is very concerned about community numbers being in the red,” Rebeck said. “But we know that we are doing everything we can during the school day to prevent COVID from spreading. We are requiring masks, cohorting groups, social distancing and practicing hand hygiene.”

Parents and students throughout the community have voiced their concerns with the district seemingly ignoring their previous criteria. According to Rebeck, this is not the case because now they are looking at the percent of positive cases along with the number of positive cases per 100,000 people. They are also taking into consideration that COVID-19 is not being directly transmitted within schools. JCDHE has concluded that social gatherings like parties or weddings are among the main contributors that spread COVID throughout the community. 

“[Johnson County Department of Health and Environment] made a recommendation to schools when we reached 251 cases per 100,000, that we remain in the learning modes we were in because data shows that schools are not where COVID is being spread,” Rebeck said.

According to Rebeck, what really matters is what we do as a community to prevent the spread because within the schools, everything is being done in a safe fashion.

“Data shows that we are doing a good job,” Rebeck said. “SMSD does not control what people in the community do outside of school. We wish that people would avoid gatherings where masks aren’t worn and social distancing isn’t practiced.”

Freeman also believes that the guidelines have been safely followed in school. She said that she hasn’t noticed students not properly wearing masks, but she’s seen that teachers do a good job of calling them out.

Rebeck predicts that as long as people continue to have social gatherings indoors, attend Chiefs watch parties and more — the curve will not flatten, forcing them back to all remote.

Rebeck and the district believe that students learn better in-person and are able to more effectively retain content — so keeping the in-person learning model is their goal. 

“From the health perspective, if we close schools, older kids will likely hang out at each other’s houses and younger kids will have to add an additional cohort of a daycare setting,” Rebeck said. “Both of these scenarios potentially spread the virus more in the community than if we keep in-person learning going.”