March 14th, 2020

Effective Monday, March 16th, 2020, the Franklin County Health Officer has ordered all Franklin County School Districts to suspend classroom and extracurricular activities for two weeks as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 (See attached letter).  We understand the disappointment, inconvenience, and challenges that this decision will cause; however, the primary objective remains to protect the health and well-being of our students, staff, and community. All student classes, extracurricular activities and practices for the next two weeks are canceled.    

We know that this will raise a number of questions over the next few days.  We know that this is an unsettling time, but we will get through this together.  As mentioned previously, our Emergency Response Plan has been activated for several days and is working on this fluid situation daily.  We will be providing additional information in the coming days. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate this rapidly changing situation together.    

Travelers coming back from international trips in level 2 and 3 countries (China, Iran, South Korea, and all of Europe including the United Kingdom) are required to contact the Franklin County Health Department at 785-229-3530 for guidance on next steps.  Travelers coming back from any other areas (domestic and international) are recommended to closely monitor for the following symptoms of COVID-19:

  • Fever above 100.4F

  • Cough

  • Shortness of Breath / Difficulty Breathing

Please call your healthcare provider if you have reason to believe you have been exposed to this disease (call before going to the provider and tell them you may have COVID-19). 

We encourage parents to continue to encourage all family members to practice good hygiene and virus prevention practices.

  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol, dye free and fragrance free) is a good choice when soap and water is unavailable but not the recommended choice for killing all germs.

  • Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue and discard the tissue after each use.

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • Stay home when you are sick.

As the impact of COVID-19 is felt across the nation and state, it is very normal for additional questions about COVID-19 to arise.  There has been an increase in SPAM information related to COVID-19 in recent days. I would encourage you to go to one of the following sites for information related to COVID-19:  Franklin County Health Department, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Center for Disease Control.  

We will continue to communicate with families by email and/or phone using our PowerSchool and Apptegy system with any updates and/or changes.


Ryan Bradbury

Superintendent

USD 289 Wellsville