School district COVID-19 risk levels

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has mitigation plans in place for what will happen with in-person education when different regions of the peninsula are in low, medium and high-risk levels. Those plans can be found here: kpbsd.k12.ak.us/content.aspx?id=41923

Regions of the peninsula are put into low, medium or high-risk categories based on the number of new cases of COVID-19 identified in the regions over a 14-day period. This model is based on rates of cases per 100,000 population.

As of Wednesday, the southern Kenai Peninsula (from Ninilchik south) was in the high risk category with 32 new cases in the last 14 days. The southern peninsula is in low risk if it has had zero to 9 new cases in the last 14 days, is in medium risk if there have been 10 to 19 new cases in the last 14 days, and would go into high risk if there were 20 or more new cases in the last 14 days.

The central peninsula, including Kenai, Nikiski, Soldotna, Sterling and Kasilof, was also at high risk as of Wednesday, with 357 new cases over the last 14 days.

The eastern peninsula (Seward and Moose Pass) was at high risk Wednesday with 13 new cases of COVID-19 within the last 14 days.

Susan B. English School is also in the high-risk category after COVID-19 cases were recently identified in the community. The school is on 100% remote status through at least Nov. 6.

As of Wednesday, the other rural communities within the school district were at low risk, except for Seldovia. That category includes Nanwalek School, Port Graham School and Susan B. English School in Seldovia across Kachemak Bay, as well as Cooper Landing School, Hope School, and Tebughna School.

According to the school district, schools on the central peninsula will remain at remote learning status through at least Nov. 13. Schools in the eastern and southern peninsula will remain at remote learning status through at least this Friday, Nov. 6.