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KPS COVID-19 PLANS

Kearney Public Schools logo
2021-2022 COVID-19 RETURN TO SCHOOL PLANS

 

 

NE Dept of Ed logoElementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief 

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021. The ARP Act includes nearly $122 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) Fund that allows state and local education agencies (LEAs) to take additional steps for continued safe in-person instruction and to address unfinished teaching and learning to mitigate the pandemic.

The ESSER III funding enables Nebraska school districts to promote safe school operations and equity-driven, sustainable, evidence-based programs to serve students – especially those who are the furthest from opportunity – and to continue to strengthen teaching and learning:

    • consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools to the greatest extent practicable; address the many impacts of COVID-19 on students, including from interrupted instruction;
    • implement strategies to meet students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs;
    • offer crucial summer, afterschool, and other extended learning and enrichment programs;
    • support early childhood education;
    • invest in staff capacity; and
    • avoid devastating layoffs at this critical moment, ensuring that all students have access to teachers; counselors, and other school personnel to support their needs.
    • allowable uses for school systems

 

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RETURN TO SCHOOL PLAN
Kearney Public Schools believes that in-person, in the classroom, is the best way for children to learn.  Designed to create the safest learning environment, our Return to School Plan will keep our schools open for in-person learning.  We understand the current risks with Covid-19 and believe that this plan will support the needs of our students and staff and while mitigating the health and safety concerns in our community and schools. Kearney Public Schools will review and update the Return to School Plan throughout the school year as the risk of COVID-19 changes and as new research emerges and more guidance is provided to the school district.

 

Please note: Kearney Public Schools will adjust protocols as necessary to address changing conditions. During the 2021-2022 school year, protocols and requirements may change for a specific school building, program, classroom, transportation, or a setting based on the number of positive cases, contact tracing, community test positivity rate, community conditions, and risk of spread. Safety measure considerations are face-covering requirements, discontinuing certain activities, classroom closures, school closures, and other precautionary measures.  

 

 

 

-----Current Risk Level:  Green/Low/Phase IV
green dial
 
The KPS COVID-19 Risk Dial provides a summary of current COVID conditions in our schools only.  It does not mirror the Two Rivers dial which represents a seven-county region.
 
At Kearney Public Schools we understand that there is nothing easy about dealing with COVID. As a community, we must work together to reduce the spread and allow our students to attend school in person. 
 
We know the impact that these decisions have on our families, students, and staff as we navigate through this pandemic.  We are all in this together. Thank you for your patience and understanding of the changes that dealing with this pandemic brings.  We will continue to deliver quality education to all of our students at Kearney Public Schools.
 
 
 
The Infectious Disease Control Plan will be used to determine future mitigation of COVID in KPS schools.  
 
 
INFORMATION SOURCES

Two Rivers Public Health Department (https://www.trphd.org/)
 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/),
 
Nebraska Department of Education (https://www.launchne.com/20-21/covid-19-special-report/)
 
U.S. Department of Education (https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus)