In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and Iowa schools being closed through April 30, the Wilton school board took part in its first virtual meeting April 8, with board members attending via computer screen at home and Wilton administrators doing the same from their offices within district buildings.
The bulk of the two-hour meeting revolved around the administrative report portion, where Elementary School Principal Denise Austin and Jr./Sr. High Principal Marc Snavely updated the board on measures taken to help get students to the new April 30 deadline set forth by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. The previous four-week cancellation is being forgiven, but districts must submit plans to the state for time missed from April 13 through April 30.
Superintendent Joe Burnett said the district submitted a plan to the state and it was approved in less than 24 hours. “Either it was great or they’re approving everything that’s put in front of them,” he said, noting that if school closures go beyond April 30, it’s unknown whether an updated plan would have to be submitted.
Snavely told the board the district is going with voluntary learning initiatives to help provide students with educational enrichment. He said having the 1:1 computer initiative has helped immensely through the shutdown. He said 7-12 grade teachers are planning three days per week then presenting to students on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The voluntary interactions with classes are being attended by 50-60 percent of students, according to Snavely.
When planning for the end of the year, Snavely said it depended on whether or not students would come back to school. At this point, he said teachers are working closely with students to ensure all missed assignments are being turned in and if they are, students could receive full credit. If students can come back, Snavely said there would be around a 5-week fourth quarter that may be done on a pass/fail basis.
He also noted that through a recent grant program, WTC Communications worked with the school to help get students in need Internet access while school is out. A portion of the $5,000 grant was also split between the Wilton Café, Jeff’s Market and the Durant-Wilton Food Pantry for helping to feed students during this time.
Prom has been postponed and the annual commencement ceremony “is up in the air right now,” said Snavely.
Board member Rob Metzger asked what would happen to seniors if the rest of the year were canceled. Burnett said it would be a local board decision but an idea would be to look at grades through the third quarter and make the fourth a pass or fail option. “We’re really working with students to get all their work in for full credit,” he added.
Burnett added that by law, the school year must be done by June 30 and that a graduation ceremony would have to be held by then, but hopefully closer to the May 17 date originally scheduled. Yet social distancing rules would come into play on any options.
“Prom could be held at a later date sometime in June. We’d lose our luster if we had graduation far after the (scheduled) date,” Burnett said.
Elementary Principal Austin said teachers were working to help move kids forward during the difficult time of missing so much school. She said feedback and the social aspect was big for younger students. Teachers in grades 3-6 are interacting with students through Google classroom.
She said she’s also been in close contact with teachers, grade-by-grade, since each grade is different. She said most teachers are holding class once per week with all students then holding separate small-group sessions.
Miscellany
In other action, the board:
* Approved business and financial reports.
* Held a FY21 budget hearing prior to the regular meeting before later approving the FY21 budget.
* Approved the job description for the school’s at-risk coordinator.
* Reviewed policies 800; 801.1; 801.2; 801.3; 801.4; 801.5; 801.6; 801.7; and 801.8.
* Approved 2020-2021 sharing agreements with Durant for the following positions: transportation director, elementary band teacher, half-time Spanish teacher, vocational ag, business education, art education, family and consumer science education and computer science.
* Held the second reading of policies 711.10; 711.2R2 and 711.9.
* Approved the 2020-2021 home school assistance program agreement with Mississippi Bend AEA.
* Approved the 2020-2021 medical, dental and vision insurance rates, which will increase around 3.8 percent.
* Approved an order of 7-12 grade ELA curriculum with a total of $6,798.35.
* Approved the lowest of three bids for replacement of teacher laptops, done every four years. ITSavvy submitted the low bid of $46,575 for the purchase of 69 Acer Chromebooks.
* Approved the 2020-2021 Latchkey handbook.
* Approved two resolutions with regard to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. One included a response and emergency suspension of policy; and the other included pandemic temporary supplemental policy provisions. Burnett noted that both help explain and secure that district employees continue getting paid through closure due to pandemics.
* Approved the hiring of Erica Schultz, 7-12 grade math, at a salary to be determined.
The next work session will be April 22 at 5 p.m., where Burnett said updated budget numbers would be presented to the board with regard to the upcoming gym commons project. The next regular meeting is May 13 at 5:30 p.m. Board members Jeremy Lies, Linda Duncan, Rob Metzger and Tim Barrett were present. Tara Oien was absent. All action taken was unanimous.