Though most Kentucky school districts have resumed some type of in-person instruction, many districts moved to virtual classes this week after the state saw its highest week of coronavirus cases.

At least 29 Kentucky school districts returned to all virtual instruction this week, while another three held off a planned returned to in-person classes. Since the school year began, 49 districts that have begun in-person instruction returned to virtual at some point.

By Thursday, 159 of Kentucky’s 171 school districts had begun holding in-person classes, either five days a week, four days a week or on a hybrid schedule. Clark County Schools is schedule to hold it's first in-person classes on Friday.

Some districts switched to virtual this week because of the number of students and/or staff who are positive or in quarantine, while others made the call because the county is in the red category on the state's COVID-19 incidence map, meaning there is significant community spread.

State health officials advise districts to check the incidence map on Thursday evening, then use the modes of instruction metric to determine whether to hold in-person classes the following week. Red counties are asked to suspend in-person classes, however, at least 25 districts in this week's red counties continued to hold in-person classes.

Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday praised how districts have handled returning to school.

“I want to say that I think our schools are doing a really good job when they have their kids in,” he said. “Our teachers are trying so hard, our principals are trying so hard, and I think our kids are doing really well.”

Beshear, when asked on Tuesday why schools had not already been closed as the state set daily records, said that most districts are following the guidance and are mitigating the disease's spread.

"We don't see school spread driving the community spread, but if there's that community spread it is going to happen in the schools, we are trying to be more surgical, we're trying to take the steps where we need them the most," he said. "Also realizing that distance learning is hard, on the child, on families. If we can get people in the classroom we should."

On Wednesday, the state’s positivity rate rose above 6 percent – the level at which the state has said that the Modes of Instruction tool would no longer be in effect.

Even with the positivity rate of 6.07 percent, Beshear said that the Modes of Instruction tool would remain in effect for next week.

"There are a couple reasons for that. One, it's not that much higher than 6 percent but second, we are going to have so many red counites that it's going to be where our advice would be anyway," he said. "There's going to be a widespread call for us to work really hard next week."

On Wednesday there 64 counties in the red on the incidence map – the most ever. Districts are advised to use the map that will be released at the Thursday afternoon briefing to determine whether to hold in-person classes next week.

Mid-year budget cuts could impact school districts, Kentucky Department of Education officials recently told lawmakers.

After the Office of State Budget Director asked all state agencies to prepare for an 8 percent cut in this fiscal year's spending, KDE created a preliminary plan that Associate Commissioner Robin Kinney presented to the Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education on Oct. 21.

Though the state asked for 8 percent in cuts, which would be about $43 million to education spending, KDE’s plan includes a $28.5 million reduction.

The proposal exempts SEEK funding, funding for the Kentucky School for the Deaf and the Kentucky School for the Blind, preschool and vocational school funding, and school food services federal matching funds.

“While this is lower than the requested amount from the Office of State Budget Director, this will still directly affect our local school districts and the services that we’re able to provide to them,” Karen Wirth, KDE’s budget director, told legislators.

The cuts would impact local districts’ technology funding, funding for the Family Resource and Youth Service Centers and grants to local districts for personnel. The amount of the cuts would depend on when the reductions are implemented, she said.

“We are really hopeful, we don’t have to take the cut,” Kinney said. “It will have a significant impact on services to students.”

In addition, each office in KDE would also reduce its budget by 8 percent, she said.

Online registration will open next week on the Winter Symposium page of KSBA's website.

Note: Because this is a regular school board election year, newly elected board members may attend this meeting to take part in board service orientation called "New Board Member Boot Camp."

The 2020 Winter Symposium will once again take place at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Special conference rates are available. Book your hotel stay at the special $144 rate.

The latest issue of the Kentucky School Advocate is now online. See how a perfect storm of the coronavirus pandemic, a change in the filing deadline and new requirement for high school transcripts led to fewer new school board candidates on the ballot.

Also in the October Advocate:

The Kentucky Department of Education is asking school board members and other education partners to provide feedback and suggestions on the 2019-2020 School Report Card (SRC).

The feedback link at the bottom right of the SRC can be used to provide a quick comment or respond to a feedback survey.

In addition, BrightBytes, the company that created the report card for KDE, leads user experience testing to get public feedback on the report card including navigation, usability and data availability. This feedback is used to help refine the SRC for future years. Testing will run through the end of the year.

Feedback is collected in different ways to provide as much flexibility as possible for participation. If individuals or groups would like to participate in providing the additional feedback, submit names and contact information to KDE Data Services or directly to BrightBytes.

For the 10th consecutive year, the Kentucky School Boards Association will award scholarships to members of the Class of 2021.

Thanks to the generous support of statewide fundraising efforts, this year the KSBA Board of Directors will award four $2,500 First Degree Scholarships to eligible Kentucky high school seniors to attend any two- or four-year accredited college or university. Two scholarships each will be awarded to male and female students who would be the first members of their immediate families to receive a degree from an institution of higher education. These nonrenewable scholarships will be paid directly to the institutions upon the recipients’ official admission acceptances.

The deadline for districts to nominate one male and/or one female student for the First Degree Scholarship is Nov. 18. Visit our website for more information, including eligibility requirements and the application.

On behalf of public school students, faculty, staff and school boards, KSBA thanks these groups for their significant investments of time and money to help Kentucky's local school boards implement tobacco free policies. Read the full announcement here.

Over the next several months, KSBA will be spotlighting our Tier 1 and Tier 2 Affiliate Members in Q&A videos. The videos will provide information on the services the companies provide to school districts and why they choose to support public education.

This week's spotlight is American Fidelity. Rebecca Combs, Kentucky State Manager for American Fidelity, joined KSBA's Matt McCarty for a Zoom conversation.

Check out all KSBA Affiliate members on our website.

This edition of KSBA Aware is made possible in part