The Durant School District will celebrate the class of 2020 on two separate dates — May 17 and July 12.
In the wake of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordering schools to remained closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year, members of the Durant school board discussed graduation at a work session held April 27.
High School Principal Joel Diederichs said he held a virtual meeting with the senior class, with 21 of the possible 42 graduates partaking. Diederichs said that the school’s original commencement date was May 17. On that day, starting at 1 p.m., graduates will take part in a parade of cars that will use the annual Durant Firefighters’ Festival route, with the addition of taking Seventh Street back to the High School, where their names will be read aloud at the school upon driving through at the end of the route.
The event will be broadcast live on Facebook.
Seniors will then have a more traditional graduation ceremony July 12, where they will receive their diplomas. Diederichs said the weather would dictate whether it would be held in the gym or perhaps outdoors at the football field. Prom has been postponed with the makeup date “still in limbo,” he said.
With the final day of school being March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Diederichs said the second semester would be graded pass/fail based on grades at that time. Three seniors are in question when it comes to passing but they’ve been contacted and the school is working with them to get their grades up in order to graduate.
On May 7, seniors will pick up their things from their lockers in curbside fashion at the school. The rest in grades 7-11 will do it May 27-28. Apple iPads will also be turned back into the school at that time.
In the elementary school, Principal Rebecca Stineman said teachers were focusing on routines with students via virtual meetings. Also the teachers have been taking “pencil and paper work” to students in-person and through the mail. Stineman said parents wanted more hands-on activities and that teachers have been complying with those wishes.
Superintendent Joe Burnett said that Gov. Reynolds waived the Aug. 23 start date for the upcoming school year for districts that wanted to start earlier, however Durant will not do that. The school doesn’t have air conditioning and teachers’ contracts won’t change, meaning that starting school a lot earlier would also mean getting out earlier in 2021.
Roofing bid approved
The board approved a roofing repair bid for Duro-Last products, in the amount of $325,052.64.
The bid allows for phase I and II of the district’s roof repair plan to be completed this summer, and then some, according to Maintenance Director Tom Wuestenberg. All sections except the middle school and middle school commons will get roofing and insulation repairs done, which is more than originally planned for, Wuestenberg noted.
The price point also came in within the original budget for the first two phases of the project, according to Burnett.
The Duro-Last pricing proposal was submitted via The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) that the district is now a part of. Riddell Roofing of Aledo, Illinois will provide installation of the Duro-Last products, which come with a 20-year warranty.
Miscellany
In other action, the board:
* Set a budget amendment hearing for Monday, May 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the start of the next regular school board meeting.
Board members Julie Rivera, Katy Oberlander, Tara Lindsay, Carla Whitlock and Travis Bullard were present. All action taken was unanimous.