Governor Mike Parson met with school administrators and teachers from across the state to discuss their plans for this fall and how they are navigating the challenges of COVID-19.

*There is no one-size- fits-all approach - Governor Mike Parson*

Over the past week, Parson met with educators and administrators in the Jefferson City, Neosho, Springfield, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Northeast Missouri regions.

“We are very grateful for the hard work of our superintendents, administrators, teachers, and all school staff members to prepare for the upcoming school year,” Parson said. “There is no one-size- fits-all approach. Every school district will look different based on the needs of its students and community,” Parson continued.

The Governor’s Office has worked closely with the Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Health and Senior Services (DHSS) to address key questions on school reopening. On Monday, DESE and DHSS released an updated school reopening guidance document addressing more frequently asked questions for the upcoming school year.

The document, initially published on July 9th, now includes information on the reactive strategies that Missouri schools should be prepared to address upon reopening, including what to do if a student or staff member becomes symptomatic at school, how to handle positive cases of COVID-19 in the school community, and how to best prepare to assist local health officials with contact identification and tracing.

The Kearney School District plan was updated during a special board meeting on August 3rd . The Board approved a revised school calendar which was made based upon guidance from the Clay County Public Health Center (CCPHC).

Highlights of the new 2020-2021 calendar include:

● Moved first day of school from August 24th to September 8th

● Changed 2 early release days and 1 half day to full days

● Changed 1 half day to early release (last day of school)

● Changed 1 PD day to regular in-session

● Extension of the school calendar from May 25th to May 26th

● Staff reports as previously scheduled

● The first 6 inclement weather days will be online learning for all students

The updated KSD reopening plan can be found here.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story