March 17th, 2020

MESSAGE TO FAMILIES

Today, March 17, 2020, Governor Laura Kelly announced all school facilities will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. This is a decision that, while difficult, was deemed necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19.  We know this will place tremendous hardship on our families and staff, and impact the social and emotional well-being of our students and we are sensitive to the needs of everyone impacted by this decision. 

We have been working on contingency plans since mid-March, including how we can meet the ongoing learning needs of our students and provide breakfast and lunch for our students.

  • Beginning March 23rd, FREE Breakfast and Lunch (Grab and Go) will be served out in front of Wellsville High School.  Please see the district website, Facebook page, or bottom of this letter for additional information.

  • While schools are closed in the traditional sense that we are used to, USD 289 will announce continuing education opportunities for all students in the near future.  This will include an application for a waiver from KSDE which will provide greater flexibility in our delivery model and exemption from some previous state requirements.   

Our staff and board of education are also working on other critical issues, such as what this means for our seniors, how this will affect next school year and what impact this will have on our employees. 

We are committed to working together as a community to support one another throughout these unprecedented times, and communication will remain a top priority. We will continue to communicate with families by email and/or phone using our PowerSchool and Apptegy system with any updates and/or changes. As a reminder, this school closure is in response to the current public health crisis. The focus should remain on preventing the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

COVID-19 Guidance

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 provide updates on these issues as soon as the information is available.  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                          Beth Watson

Superintendent                         Board President

USD 289 Wellsville                   USD 289 Wellsville