© 2024 KPCW

KPCW
Spencer F. Eccles Broadcast Center
PO Box 1372 | 460 Swede Alley
Park City | UT | 84060
Office: (435) 649-9004 | Studio: (435) 655-8255

Music & Artist Inquiries: music@kpcw.org
News Tips & Press Releases: news@kpcw.org
Volunteer Opportunities
General Inquiries: info@kpcw.org
Listen Like a Local Park City & Heber City Summit & Wasatch counties, Utah
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Summit County Officials: We Don't Make the COVID-19 Rules for School Districts

Image of the entrance into Park City High School
Park City High School

The Summit County Council and local school authorities have released a letter that clarifies the role of the county in school reopenings this month.

 

The letter says while there is understandable concern about the start of this school year, there is a misperception in some circles that the county authorizes the school plans or has officially endorsed them.

 

The letter, issued Thursday, was signed by County Council Chairman Doug Clyde, Health Director Rich Bullough, Health Board Chair Dr. Ilyssa Golding and Superintendents Jill Gildea of Park City, Jerre Holmes of North Summit and Shad Sorenson of South Summit.

 

Clyde told KPCW on Thursday that the North Summit, South Summit, and Park City school boards are in charge of the reopening plans, with input from the county, and they are following guidelines from the Utah Department of Health and the State Board of Education.

 

Clyde said the county isn’t endorsing any simplistic ideas about the risks of reopening.

 

“The answer is that no large gathering of people, of any kind, is safe under the current pandemic,” he said. “There are going to be risks. There are going to get—people who are going to get sick. And the public really needs to be on their guard, especially as we try and reopen things like schools.

 

He said that the county and the districts agree that education is, in effect, an essential business.

 

“They’re such an integral part to how we lead a normal life that depriving parents of the ability to send their kids to school is extremely impactful,” Clyde said. “And some parents have absolutely no ability whatsoever to deal with their kids in a homeschool scenario and still make a living, etc.”

 

He said the districts have to balance relative safety with the need for education.

 

“Are the school boards working hard to make sure that things are as safe as they possibly could be? Within reason,” Clyde said. “There’s always more you can do. You could always bring less students. You can always school from home. But those are not our calls. We simply are consulting on what their safety regulations are, and how they go about it, and whether a surface is cleaned at a level that is considered to be standard for that sort of activity.”

 

Thursday’s letter said that the county and the schools will continue to work together, make data-informed decisions, and implement isolation and quarantine measures if COVID outbreaks do occur.

 

All of Summit County’s school districts resume next week. Both North Summit and South Summit start Wednesday, Aug. 19, and Park City schools start Thursday, Aug. 20. Wasatch County starts on Monday, Aug. 17. Silver Summit Academy starts Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Known for getting all the facts right, as well as his distinctive sign-off, Rick covered Summit County meetings and issues for 35 years on KPCW. He now heads the Friday Film Review team.
Related Content