Humboldt cancels classes for the rest of the week

Rising COVID cases throughout the Humboldt district prompted school board members to cancel Thursday and Friday classes and activities, sending students into an early winter break. Classes resume Jan. 4.

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December 16, 2021 - 10:32 AM

The Humboldt school district has canceled classes for students for the rest of the week because of a rise in COVID-19 cases.

That will take students into the winter break. Classes will resume Jan. 4; teachers return Jan. 3. Superintendent Amber Wheeler said she hopes the break will give students and the community a chance to recover as the number of cases continues to surge countywide.

All activities have also been canceled. That includes a middle school basketball game at Eureka and high school wrestling at home today, and a basketball game at Neodesha on Friday.

“If you look at the county, numbers have gone up so high. We aren’t surprised to see that in our schools,” Wheeler said.

Allen County had 120 active cases as of Monday, according to the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments. Last week, the county had 185 cases.

The district reached the 4% threshold for positive COVID cases on Wednesday. Under the board’s policy, that prompted a special meeting where the board decided to cancel classes on Thursday and Friday. 

The cases were spread fairly evenly through the elementary and middle and high school buildings, Wheeler said.

Also at the meeting, the board voted to modify its policy slightly, changing the policy from 4% districtwide to 4% at each building. When the 4% threshold is reached, it triggers a special board meeting.

The district doesn’t release specific numbers, but its website shows the elementary school reached 4.4% of positive cases and the middle and high schools combined for 4.1%.

The elementary school’s enrollment is 319 and the middle and high school are 340. Based on the website percentages, that works out to about 14 students at each building.

Report cards will be sent home after the winter break.

The district will attempt to reschedule athletic events after break, if possible.

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