A lawsuit filed by parents of children subjected to the Shawnee Mission School District’s mask mandate Tuesday evolved into a Kansas Supreme Court debate about due process rights, separation of powers, legislative authority and judicial independence.
Heather Hazzan / SELF Magazine
The next wave of the massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign could begin as soon as next week, after federal regulators decide if elementary school students across the United States should begin rolling up their tiny sleeves.
The Lawrence school district reported 13 new COVID-19 cases among students Wednesday — the most reported cases in a single day during the first nine weeks of the school year. Meanwhile, the district is preparing to help roll out vaccines for those 5-11 years old.
With flu season fast approaching, a panel of education and health care advocates are touting the effect school masking policies have had on an apparent decrease in outbreaks in the classroom.
In the first year and a half of the pandemic, Kansas schools have seen a decrease in enrollment and attendance and an increase in truancy and chronic absenteeism.
Shawnee Heights school board candidate Christina Flaming compared COVID-19 mask mandates to Nazi persecution of Jews, referred in a campaign fundraising appeal to “so-called vaccinations” for coronavirus and accused physicians and news media of being complicit in an effort to stoke public fear with bad science.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported fewer new school-related COVID outbreaks this week — the first decline after several consecutive weeks. However, schools and students continue to lag in other key metrics.
The moderator of the Douglas County Democrats’ school board forum Wednesday asked the candidates to name the greatest successes and struggles in the district’s adaptations to the pandemic, and what values would guide their decision-making about safety policies.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is reporting a new death related to an active school COVID-19 cluster. This comes just one week after the death of a Kansas middle school student was announced.
USD 497 update to families
Effective Monday, the Lawrence school district will follow new COVID-19 guidelines that will allow symptom-free students and staff to test out of quarantine.
