The superintendents at USD 323 Rock Creek and USD 320 Wamego both say they’re exploring the concept of utilizing a supervised quarantine room in school buildings if necessary.
The idea for quarantine rooms comes amid severe limitations on the use of remote learning instituted by the Kansas Legislature and schools trying to keep their state funding by having students in the classroom. Students who are quarantined could be forced out of the classroom for up to eight days.
In Rock Creek Schools, no active quarantine room exists right now, but Superintendent Kevin Logan tells KMAN that his district utilized the concept last year during the late winter and early spring for students exposed to the virus at school. He says the concept worked “very well” and that none of the students who were under quarantine became Covid positive.
Interim Wamego Superintendent Greg Mann says they too are actively exploring the quarantine room concept as a means of keeping quarantined students caught up with school work.
Both school districts are hoping to have in-house Covid testing centers set up to offset the need for such quarantine rooms. That likely won’t come online until after Labor Day, when each anticipates receiving its grant funding from KDHE.
