District gets through first quarter with minimal interruption of in-class learning

The Mat-Su Borough School District continues to report positive COVID-19 cases at Valley schools. But unlike the other large school districts in Alaska, schools remain open for in-class learning in the Mat-Su.

District officials reported 15 confirmed cases at a total of 11 Valley schools during a Mat-Su School Board meeting Oct. 7. As of Wednesday evening, an additional nine cases were reported since Oct. 7, according to information provided on the district’s website. Cases at Meadow Lakes Elementary, Finger Lake Elementary, Houston Jr./Sr. High, Redington Jr./Sr. HIgh and Mat-Su Career and Technical High School have been reported since Sunday.

Birchtree Charter, Burchell High, Colony High, FInger Lake Elementary, Houston Jr./Sr High, Iditarod Elementary, Mat-Su Career and Technical High, Meadow Lakes Elementary, Sherrod Elementary, Swanson Elementary and Wasilla High are listed as medium risk, which means at least one case has been reported in the last 14 days.

The Kenai Peninsula School District shifted to remote education earlier this week. The Anchorage School District and Fairbanks North Star School District have kept schools closed to in-class learning since the beginning of the school year. But the Mat-Su Borough School District made it through the first quarter with minimal interruption of in-class learning.

“We have many schools that have not had one interrupted day of in-school services,” MSBSD Deputy Superintendent Luke Fulp said during a podcast posted by the district on social media Tuesday.

MSBSD Superintendent Dr. Randy Trani and Fulp discussed the first six weeks of the school year and keeping local schools open during the podcast. Both credited the district’s mitigation plan and the effort by employees throughout the district to follow protocol.