COVID-19: FIVE-TIERED RESPONSE PLAN

Covid-19 Five-Tiered Response Plan:

Masks continue to be a requirement for the Estill County School System when the county is in the red or orange level on the Covid-19 Current Incidence Rate in Kentucky map. If our county is yellow or green on this map then masks are strongly recommended for those who are unvaccinated, but not required.

If Covid-19 levels/rates begin to climb and create scenarios where different measures need to be considered; the following five-tiered approach will be considered as a part of the “Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and the Continuity of Services” guidance document.   

• Level 0: Traditional learning with continued mitigation measures.
• Level 1: Traditional learning with increased social distancing protocols.
• Level 2 - Traditional Learning with varying mitigation strategies for Individual Classrooms, Grade Levels or Individual Schools, with increased social distancing due to increased cases or large numbers quarantining.
• Level 3 – School Closures due to shortage of staff members, including food service and transportation personnel. District can use NTI days or students would have to make up any missed days once staff absences and quarantines have improved. 
• Level 4 – District wide school closures and cancellation of ALL extracurricular activities.  This would be determined by the Estill County Board of Education and the Superintendent, after consultation and recommendations by the Estill County Health Department, when positivity rates are extremely high.  

REMEMBER:  School Districts no longer have access to unlimited NTI Days, so any days missed once the District enters Level 3 Status will have to be made up just like any other missed day.  This will result in the School Calendar having to be amended and could result in the loss/reduction of scheduled Holiday Breaks.

ATHLETICS:  Athletics are not exempt from the COVID-19 Five-Tiered Response Plan.  If the District reaches a Level 4 Status and we have to call off school due to extremely high incident rates of this virus, all sports and extracurricular activities will be suspended as well.  The only way for us to continue to ensure that all extracurricular activities can continue, is for our participants, coaches and staff to be vaccinated.

NOTE:  These Response Levels are not dependent upon the “kycovid-19 incident rate map”.  The color designation on this map is just one of the data points we use to make district decisions.