LIHU‘E — The state Department of Education continues to report high numbers of COVID-19 cases in the school community, with 2,655 cases reported between Jan. 11 and 27. There were 305 cases on Kaua‘i during that period.
LIHU‘E — The state Department of Education continues to report high numbers of COVID-19 cases in the school community, with 2,655 cases reported between Jan. 11 and 27. There were 305 cases on Kaua‘i during that period.
Since students returned to in-person learning in early January, schools have struggled with staffing, leading to massive disruptions, including combining classrooms and moving some schools to distance learning, including Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Jan. 18 and Wilcox Elementary School on Jan. 25.
DOE schools have individual contingency plans for managing transitioning to distance learning, but so far this school year details have not been available to the public or even the majority of school staff.
At the Jan. 18 state Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Keith Hayashi agreed to more transparency.
“I will work together with the candidates and with the school principals to create a document that we can share with their communities and with their respective employees of the school,” said Hayashi.
On Wednesday, DOE reported statewide attendance and staffing data for the week of Jan. 18. Attendance for students and teachers showed sizable improvements from the week prior, but substitute-teacher requests still remained high.
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Laurel Smith, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0424 or lsmith@thegardenisland.com.
