Beech Tree News Network

While the upcoming school year is set to begin in approximately two weeks, Butler County students and those from around the state are not planning to be inside school buildings.  Governor Andy Beshear announced on Monday that he did not want public schools in Kentucky to resume in-person instruction until at least September 28.  The governor said more time was needed for the state to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.  

Superintendent Robert Tuck said that after discussing the situation with officials from the Kentucky Department of Education, Butler County Schools will be following the governor’s recommendations.  

“As many are aware at this point, the Governor has pushed the start of in-person classes to September 28th.  We anticipated something like this might happen,” said Tuck.  “Early on we listened to our community and created a playbook for opening.  This playbook was created with input of all stakeholders and took the concerns and suggestions, creating an effective 5-day a week plan that met our needs.  But even with the best laid plans, we knew that we would have to adjust as needed.”

Throughout the planning phase for the reopening of schools, Supt. Tuck has stressed the need for flexibility, as well as having the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.  

“We have provided ourselves as much flexibility as possible to make adjustments.  I go back to my go to statement from when the pandemic started; we will plan for the worst, hope for the best, and adjust and adapt as we go.  Unfortunately, along the way we have had to do more adjusting and adapting than any one of us want,” said Tuck.  “For this, I will go to my second favorite statement during this time.  We need to focus on what we can control and not worry about those things that we cannot.  We can get mad and upset, but at the end of the day we are still right back to where we started.   Our focus and attention should be trying to figure out, based on the circumstances, how we can help students and families the best under the current circumstances.”

In response to reporters, Gov. Beshear stressed the safety of students.    

“Getting them back at the height of the pandemic, I think, would be irresponsible,” said Beshear.  “So, our goal is to ensure that we have our timing right.  That we don’t act like some of the states that reopened the fastest and reaped repercussions.  And then we shouldn’t want our kids to be the canaries in the coal mine.”    

The Democratic governor’s recommendation to postpone in-person classes follows last week’s statement by the Kentucky Education Association that lobbied school officials to hold off in-person instruction due to the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate.  

Around 30 school districts across the state, including the two largest ones, had already announced plans to begin the academic year with virtual instruction only.