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Shawnee Mission School District officials have confirmed that two students who took part in summer athletic conditioning activities at Shawnee Mission East this week have tested positive for COVID-19.
In a message to parents and staff members, SM East Athletic Director Debbie Katzfey said the district learned of the positive cases Thursday evening and had reached out to the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment for guidance on next steps. Because of student and health information privacy regulations, the district cannot comment on which sports the students participate in.
“JCDHE will conduct contact tracing and will notify anyone they consider to have been exposed,” Katzfey wrote. “If you are not contacted, your child is not considered to have been exposed in this incident.”
Statewide recommendations on resumption of normal activity following the COVID-19 shutdowns this spring allowed for fall sports conditioning to being June 1. Teams began summer conditioning workouts on the SM East practice fields on Monday, June 15. Activities included temporary fences and cones marking off space for each athlete to allow for social distancing.
“These athletes were practicing social distancing and adhering to all safety procedures,” Katzfey wrote.
Shawnee Mission Chief Communications Officer David Smith said that the district is not aware of positive COVID-19 tests among student-athletes at any of the district’s other high schools.
Campus High School in Wichita this week announced the temporary suspension of its summer conditioning program after learning that athletes may have been exposed to the virus away from school grounds.
