Bourbon District Records 51 COVID-19 Cases

Crawford County R-1 Superintendent Dr. Kyle Gibbs said on Thursday the district has recorded 51 COVID-19 cases among students this month.

The cases are across all campuses and the central office.

Including staff, there are 56 cases.

Twenty cases have been reported at the elementary, 19 at the middle school and 17 at the high school.

Board members passed a policy adjustment that night that shortens the length of time a student must be out from 10 to five days.

Gibbs said they were hoping the shorter turnaround time and the upcoming three-day weekend would allow attendance numbers to rebound this week.

The district 

Like many other districts around the state, Bourbon has dropped most mitigation efforts, including quarantines for close contacts and masking those exposed.

Schools began dropping mitigation efforts when Attorney General Eric Schmitt used a ruling from Cole County Judge Daniel Green to say that school districts and local health departments cannot enforce health orders.

Schmitt threatened to take legal action and he has sued 35 districts for their mask mandates.

Many schools around the state have used virtual days or outright canceled school due to a shortage of teachers and staff.

As of Thursday, 62 districts — 12% of Missouri’s districts — have experienced temporary closures.