Columbia Public Schools COVID-19 restrictions prompt some parents to choose private school
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Some local parents are considering or switching to private school after Columbia Public Schools decided to move fully online for the start of the semester.
The Columbia Board of Education voted 6-1 on Monday to begin classes next Tuesday fully online amid increasing COVID-19 cases.
The board chose the all-online method after the COVID-19 case rate tracked by CPS was well above 50 COVID-19 cases over 14 days per 10,000 people in the district.
As of Wednesday the rate was 72.5.
The increase has been powered by an accelerating surge in Boone County's COVID-19 cases that saw two daily records set in five days. The record for daily cases is now 168, reported Wednesday.
CPS parent Mary Earnhart is considering the switch from CPS to private school.
"I'm going to be looking into private schools just to see if there is anything else that we could be able to handle that could do better for him," she said of her child.
Earnhart is looking into other school options to see which reopening plans include in-person learning.
"No matter how many activities we do he wants interaction with other people. I feel horrible," Earnhart said.
Columbia Independent school is one private school that has reopened in-person. The Admissions Director, Kari Dowell, said they saw 125 inquires about CIS in August compared to a usual month with 25, and 90 new students this year.
"Because we are offering right now an in seat option we've had a lot of interest in families, I do try and share with all families that there is a strong possibility that we may be going online," she said. "We are going to do our best to keep everyone on campus as long as possible this year”
CIS has four levels for reopening. Right now CIS is at level two, where all students in the building are required to socially distance.
But the CIS lower-level schools are now in quarantine because of a positive COVID-19 case.
Kelli Buckner, another CPS parent, had her daughter enrolled in private school after spending months figuring out a plan for child care when CPS was considering going fully online.
But after a COVID-19 case at Christian Fellowship School, Buckner chose to return to CPS.
"In March I thought I was going to have to quit my job in order to stay home and be with my daughter for online school," she said. "I was looking for a way out to have my child learn in-person."
Other parents have also expressed their interest in switching to homeschooling in order to choose their own curriculum and set their own schedule.
