TOPEKA, KS — March 27, 2025 — As Kansas grapples with a growing measles outbreak, Topeka’s USD 501 school district is under increasing pressure to take preventive action. Health officials confirmed this week that the number of measles cases statewide has doubled, with several reported in and around Shawnee County.
While some Kansas school districts have begun sending unvaccinated students home as a precaution, USD 501 has not publicly announced whether it will follow suit.
Parents are left wondering: Will the district act before the virus reaches more classrooms?
“We’ve had one confirmed case in our county and now dozens across the state,” said one concerned parent whose child attends a USD 501 elementary school. “We want to know if our district has a plan — and if that includes keeping unvaccinated kids home temporarily.”
Kansas law currently allows medical and religious exemptions from vaccine requirements for schoolchildren. However, in outbreak situations, local health departments can recommend — or mandate — temporary exclusions for those not immunized.
As of Thursday, USD 501 officials have not issued new guidance, and district spokespersons have not returned requests for comment.
Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment continues urging families to check vaccination records and get up to date on the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) shot. Measles is highly contagious, spreading through the air and potentially leading to serious complications in young children and those with weakened immune systems.
With public health hanging in the balance and legislative debates ongoing about loosening vaccine requirements, all eyes are on local school leaders and their next move.
