Friday, March 13, 2020

Wichita Public Schools canceled all athletic practices and community gatherings due to the concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

The district said it made the decision after the Sedgwick County Health Department banned all gatherings of more than 250 people in the county.

On Thursday, the district suspended all travel over spring break and the week to follow.

A web page devoted to USD 259 information and updates regarding COVID-19 can be found at

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

Wichita Superintendent Dr. Alicia Thompson released a statement on Thursday regarding coronavirus and spring break which begins Friday.

Dr. Thompson said the district would be suspending all out-of-state district-sponsored travel during spring break, and any non-essential district-sponsored travel out of state, from March 23 through March 31.

She said any future decisions about the status of school would be based on direction from the Sedgwick County Health Department.

"I know that rumors fly in any crisis situation, and I encourage you to stay informed by checking our web site often," Thompson said.

Any further updates about the status of school will be sent to you via Parentlink (phone, email and text), posted on our district web site (www.usd259.org/coronavirus), and shared via social media.

Parents and guardians are urged to make sure their ParentVUE information is up to date.

The current recommendation for schools remains focused on preventing the spread of respiratory illness.

- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing (cough/sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue).

- Stay home when you’re sick, and keep sick children at home!

- Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.

"Every day presents a new dilemma for communities working to deal with the implications of the coronavirus. Our team is doing its very best with the information we have, at a time when information is changing quickly. Thank you for your patience, and for your continued concern for the health and well-being of all students and staff in the WPS community," concluded Dr. Thompson.

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Tuesday, March 10, 2020

School districts across Kansas are taking extra steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Currently, there is only one confirmed case of coronavirus in the state -- a Johnson County woman currently being cared for at the University of Kansas Hosptial in Kansas City.

But Wichita Public Schools recognizes the concerns parents, students and staff have as the numbers increase across the nation.

The district said administrators are meeting weekly to monitor student and staff health throughout our district, as well as developments with COVID-19.

The district said it's taking the following extra steps to prevent the spread of illness:

• Extended the flu season custodial cleaning protocol through April 17.

• All classrooms should have Clorox or Sani-Cloth wipes for intermittent cleaning as needed during the school day.

• Ordered alcohol-based hand sanitizer to be delivered to all schools.

• All student attendance-based incentive programs will be suspended for the remainder of this school year.

• School nurses have a protocol established for isolating a child who reports to the school office with flu-like symptoms.

• School administrators will monitor student and staff daily attendance to identify any emerging trends.

The district said it will continue to monitor the situation over spring break and will provide additional updates as the need warrants.

Anyone who travels over the break and experiences any symptoms of illness (fever 100.4+, cough, difficulty breathing) upon return, is asked to contact their healthcare provider before returning to school.

Nickerson Schools

The Nickerson School District is sharing the steps it is taking to make sure the novel coronavirus doesn't spread in your child's school.

Those steps include really pushing hand-washing by making handwashing posters and scheduling handwashing times.

Next, the district is sending sick kids and staff home immediately.

The district says it's also cleaning and disinfecting the entire school and using mist and a disinfectant fogger on buses.