LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) could return to in-person learning the week of Feb. 1, Acting Superintendent Marlene Helm said in a letter sent to families Tuesday.

"The data will determine whether we can begin a phased-in return – starting with grades K-2, and adding other grades in subsequent weeks – for students whose families chose in-person learning, or whether we will offer additional services for smaller groups of students," she said.

Until then, Helms said data shows remote learning needs to continue for the weeks of Jan. 19-22 and Jan. 25-29. Fayette County's average daily number of COVID-19 cases places the district in Stage 5 of the FCPS In-Person Learning Matrix, which calls for remote learning only.

"Our average daily cases have been more than 200 for the past nine days, after almost three weeks of a steady decline. In the first 11 days of 2021, we have had 117 students and 63 employees test positive for COVID-19," Helms wrote.

Helms said that in the next week, school buses will be on the road as drivers and monitors practice their routes in preparation for February. The district will also continue to distribute free meals, support families with basic needs, and provide social, emotional, and mental health support, details for which are available online.

"We are touched by the very personal stories many of our families have voiced, and we want you to know that we genuinely share your desire to return to in-person learning," Helms wrote. "We are approaching the end of that two-and-a-half week post-holiday period where we should begin to trend downward."