•Last week there were a total of 21 PCPS in-school positives, which was an increase from the previous week of 18. The week of 11/16 reflected the highest number of positives the district has experienced in one week.

• The COVID Alert System Risk Level increased this week from 68.6 - Red Level High Risk to 85.5 - Red Level High Risk. The last two weeks were the first weeks Kay County moved into the Red Level High Risk of the State Department of Education’s Risk Level Map. The Red Level High Risk reflects an average of 50 new cases per day based on a 7-day rolling average per capita of 100,000. Baed on the population of Kay County, the trigger to move into the Red Level High Risk is a weekly average of 21.77 new cases per day. These alarmingly high rates have impacted the school significantly.

• Ponca City High School has been on Distance Learning since 11/11 due to a surge in cases, which resulted in fewer close contacts at PO-HI the week of 11/16 since students were not in the building. @ With the elevated Risk Level, last week there were increases at many sites, and West Middle School and Washington PreK experienced a surge of new cases. Highlights reflect increases in staff and student percentages affected on the Total Numbers and Percentages Out Chart on page 3.

• With the elevated Risk Levels, District increases, and data related to hospitalization numbers, the BOE voted in a Special Meeting on 11/19 to move the entire district to Distance Learning for the remainder of the semester, November 23 - December 18, equating to 17 school days. Staff will be communicating regularly with students and staff.

• Additionally, in 11 student contact days from 11/2 - 11/17, 10 secondary, extra curricular activities were impacted by isolations and quarantines and resulted in 29% of the total secondary students affected during that time period. The BOE voted to suspend extra-curricular activities during the Distance Learning time frame but reserved the right to continue to review future COVID-19 data affecting PCPS.

• The total number of in-school positive cases, both active and recovered, is 128. Forty-one close contacts have become positive cases. The number of close contacts changing to positive cases increased by 28% last week alone.

• Do your part to slow the spread of wearing face coverings, watching your distance, washing your hands, avoiding large group gatherings, staying home if experiencing symptoms, and staying in isolation or quarantine if imposed by the Kay County Health Department. We all want our students back in school and activities to resume.

• Even with PO-HI being on Distance Learning since 11/11, 10.9% of our students and staff are in isolation or quarantine. Please refer to the PCPS Contact Tracing Totals Spreadsheet at www.pcps.us