The first domino fell at the KHSAA Board of Control meeting on Wednesday, November 18 when they voted to move the start of the basketball season back to January 4.
The second domino fell later that day when Governor Andy Beshear announced at his daily Covid conference that he had signed an executive order preventing winter sports from practicing until mid-December.
It was a move by the governor that the KHSAA was unaware of as they had left the idea of practicing up to local districts.
Both KHSAA and Beshear allowed the football playoffs to continue and Pendleton County, is scheduled to play Fleming County on Friday, November 27. They advanced to the second round after Mason County ended their football season after positive covid cases within their football program.
The focus of the board of control was to make sure the spring sports athletes had a full season. They had lost their complete season in the spring of 2020 because of the initial covid outbreak.
While the action by the KHSAA had allowed Esports to continue and bowling was to be determined, the governor’s actions shut down both of those sports.
Wildcat basketball will lose 15 games that were on the schedule before January 4 while the Ladycats will lose 13 games.
Superintendent Joe Buerkley emailed Falmouth Outlook, “Currently, all in person extra-curricular and co-curricular activities must cease operation beginning Friday November 20 at 5 pm – December 13. Vocational school is currently virtual pursuant to governor’s executive order.’
That would include the Academic Team that had just started their season and the NJROTC Rifle team.
The school system had recently returned to virtual learning after several staff members had tested positive or been quaratined, and the lack of susbstitutes prevented the district from adequately cover all the classes.
They were scheduled to return on Monday, November 30, but the governor’s executive order stated middle and high schools should not return to in-person education till 2021. Elementary schools are allowed to return on Monday, December 7 IF the county is no longer designated a red zone county.
The governor’s order extended to private schools like Bishop Brossart which is abiding by the shutdown.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined a lawsuit filed by Danville Christian challenging the governor’s ability to close private, religious schools.
The school will continue to provide meals for students. According to Matt Compton, Director of Student Services, “We are operating under the guidelines of the Summer Feeding Program which allows anyone age 18 or younger to receive free breakfast and lunch through our schools.”
The meal service is weekly pick-ups at each school. Families may pick up 10 meals (five breakfast and five lunch meals) each week on designated days.
Parents need to call 859-654-3325 ext 2650 or 26451 to place their order and reduce wait times.