The last day of school is always eventful, but when the state governor visits, it’s a day to remember.

Governor Andy Beshear came to Lafayette High School to hold a press conference on the vaccine clinics being held at Lafayette High School. He spoke alongside Mayor Linda Gorton and the acting Superintendent Dr. Marlene Helm about the importance of those eligible getting vaccinated as well as how citizens getting vaccinations impacts the Commonwealth.

Governor Beshear stated that by June 11th, Kentucky should be very close to normalcy. All places should be at “one hundred percent capacity (indoor and outdoor) and almost all of the restrictions on restaurants will be lifted.” He also stated that on June 11th, the mask mandate will be lifted. The Governor greatly emphasized the importance of more eligible people getting vaccinated to help our state and communities stay healthy. One of the most important points Governor Beshear made was that “if you haven’t been vaccinated, continue wearing a mask [after the mandate has been lifted]”.

Mayor Gorton touched on how important it is for those aged 12-15 to get vaccinated. She addressed that those who get vaccinated “are helping with our future, with our health, and [they’re] helping save lives.”

Acting Superintendent Dr. Marlene Helm, who was there to participate in the joint conference with the Governor and Mayor, discussed what Fayette County Public Schools has accomplished over the pandemic. FCPS was responsible for distributing over 3 million meals, 40,000 chromebooks, and 2,500 hotspots to students. They also initiated contact over 50,000 times with students and their families who were struggling and needed help during the virtual portion of the school year.

This will be a last day of school that we will all remember, not just because our governor visited, but because we know with the vaccination clinics of 12-15 year olds, the Fall of 2021 will be exponentially different than the Fall of 2020. We can’t wait.