The Russell County Schools will remain virtual through the end of the semester, per Russell County Schools Superintendent Michael Ford.
While Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive order provided the option for elementary schools to return in-person on Dec. 7, it was with the condition that the county not be a red county in terms of community spread of COVID-19.
While the state map shows Russell County as an orange county (more info on that here) the Lake Cumberland Health Department says that Russell County’s incidence rate is actually high enough to be in the red.
Beshear’s order also stated that middle schools and high schools should not return to in-person instruction until Jan. 4. The extension of all-virtual education in Russell County will align the potential return to in-person learning for all the schools in the district.
However, Ford said the school district will be keeping an eye on the number of cases moving forward.
“Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a day recently where we have not been notified of an employee(s) and students testing positive, not to mention those in quarantine,” Ford said. “We all want our students back in-person and pray that happens after the first of the year. Let’s all do our part as it’s a community effort. Wear a mask, frequent hand washing/sanitizing, limit interaction (especially crowds in enclosed areas) & use good judgement. Thank you for your understanding.”
