School Board focuses on COVID challenges
“It is an unusual start back to school,” Holdenville Public Schools Superintendent understated at one point during the August 10 Holdenville Public School Board of Education meeting. He noted the staff is understandably concerned about their students getting sick, as well as their own health, as the COVID 19 wildcard makes any attempt to plan beyond the next day a challenge.
The Board began their regular monthly meeting with the routine annual reorganization of the Board as the first item on the agenda. The Board voted to re-appoint the current officers to their respective positions. This includes: President Ben Heath; Vice-President Kevin Arthur; and Clerk DeWayne Maylen.
PARENT TEACHER MEETING - The Monday, August 10 meeting began before the principals arrived from the first of two nights of teachers meeting with students and their parents before school actually begins. The event was divided into two nights to reduce the number of people in the school buildings as a COVID 19 precaution. During this event students received log-in instructions for the school’s virtual classroom platform and their Holdenville Wolverine face masks, among other things. The District also attempted to have parents commit to either attending classes online or in the classroom, although there will be a grace period until Labor Day. Superintendent Randy Davenport stated If parents opt for online classes but change their mind before then they can still switch to the classroom, but after September7 they are locked into the home program for the remainder of the semester.
Students that have enrolled in Epic have until September 15 to switch back to Holdenville Schools before they are locked out for the remainder of the school year. Davenport explained that after that date all state funding for that student would be given to Epic.
Holdenville Schools are now much better prepared for online teaching than they were when they hastily switched over from live classrooms to online during spring break, and they are continuing to make improvements. An online teaching expert recently spent two days at Holdenville schools training teachers and answering their questions. The teachers have been practicing with the online system to be better prepared when school resumes.
Davenport stated that all staff members will be tested for the COVID virus before school starts to help reassure parents the school district is doing all they can to keep their children safe. They are stocking up on personal protective equipment, including hand sanitizer, sanitizer dispensers, masks, and face shields the teachers will be required to wear. They are also preparing for a wide variety of scenarios they may or may not face concerning the COVID virus and enacting precautions they hope will prevent the spread of the virus within the school district.
As the principals drifted into the meeting, they all shared positive reports of the parent/teacher meetings they came from. They were also relieved to report there were no major complaints about taking temperatures before entering the building and having to wear masks.
BOND ISSUE - Superintendent Davenport gave an update on progress made with the bond funds voters approved in September 2019. The new buses provided by a $360,000 proposition have arrived and will be a welcome and much needed improvement when the new school year begins.
The Ag truck that was included in the larger, $2,140,000 bond has been ordered. Contracts for the new multi-purpose building at Reed Elementary have been signed and work should begin soon. The new windows at Holdenville High School were being built and expected to be ready for installation in the next week. The heat and air conditioning unit for Thomas Middle School are on hold, due to a lull in manufacturing caused by the COVID 19 virus. An alternate plan is currently being considered.
Bids on the other bond items will be taken in September, which should finish the bidding phase of the bonds, and they can then take a reading on where they are financially.
STAGE OF PRECAUTION - Holdenville Schools have determined three major levels of COVID precautions that include: level 1 – all classes available in-school; level 2 - a mix of in-school and online classes; and level 3 - totally online classes. Each level has multiple stages of precautions to better prepare for the changing conditions. Superintendent Davenport recommended starting the new year with stage 2 of level 1, which includes required masks in common areas, teachers will use face shields in their classrooms, temperature monitoring of all staff and students before they enter the building, hand washing will be recommended multiple times during the day, and hand sanitizer will be available in the classrooms, teachers and assistants will be responsible for sanitizing desks and chairs multiple times a day, parents will not be allowed in the buildings, breakfast will be served in the classrooms, lunches will be more normal and high school will be more “grab and go.” Student will be required to wear masks on the buses.
ONLINE INSTRUCTION POLICY EHDF – The Board next approved a policy for online instruction. Superintendent Davenport explained this policy was highly recommended by the Oklahoma State School Board Association. The Superintendent explained that this policy meets all of the State Department of Education criteria for online instruction, and a policy on this subject is required by law. Even though there may be some items that don’t apply to Holdenville Schools, it does meet all of the legal requirements and covers them even if they never use it.
COVID 19 EMERGENCY LEAVE – The Board also approved providing ten days (80 hours) to meet federal guidelines for all staff for COVID 19 emergency leave relates to absences for the 2021 fiscal year, which began in July. Davenport explained that this time, which would include weekends, is intended to give staff the 14 days to quarantine if they should test positive or are sent home to quarantine by the school district for the COVID virus, and it is separate from their normal sick leave.
PERSONNEL – The Board voted to accept the resignations from: Beverly Sanford, Child Nutrition; Doris Brown, Paraprofessional; and Susan Paslay, Reading Specialist. They approved the hiring of Jennifer Batenhorst, 4 th grade teacher; Kim Carter, Child Nutrition, and Madison Keeney, Assistant.
