The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, July 16, via Zoom call. The board discussed enrollment, the 2020-21 reopening plan, and online learning options.

Colter Mohney reported to the board that all of the school buildings would be clean and ready for the upcoming school year by next week. Maintenance and facilities employees have been busy disinfecting the buildings, chairs, tables, and other equipment, as well as performing needed repairs.

Elementary principal/ Superintendent Mark Pickel reported that he has been meeting with other superintendents twice weekly and will continue to meet with area superintendents until school begins to stay informed about updates to reopening guidelines amidst the pandemic. He also reported that he would be meeting with medical professionals to discuss how to handle various situations, like a fever.

During the public comment, parents expressed concern about the STEM program being cut. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program was one of the most significant items that influenced the recent levy, and parents felt it was unfair to use the program as a selling point only to cut the program before the school year starts. Mrs. Beasley, the STEM program teacher, resigned from the Waitsburg School District earlier this year. Due to board policies, members of the school board were unable to give any feedback, but president Ross Hamann said the board would look into the issue, and more information would be released at a later time.

Waitsburg School District enrollment is sitting right around 235 students, with registrations slowly trickling in.

Superintendent Pickel presented the tentative 2020-21 school schedule. The current plan includes grouping the students into two groups, with group “A” attending classes on Monday and Tuesday, and group “B” attending classes on Wednesday and Thursday. The students will have online classes for the three days they are not attending in-person schooling. Sorting students into groups is an effort to comply with all social distancing mandates.

The district is planning on providing Google Chromebook laptops for students in sixth grade and beyond for online schoolwork. Younger students that need devices will have access to laptops. The school will be using services like Google Classrooms and Google Drive for school work. Full-time online learning will be an option for families uncomfortable with their student(s) returning to school.

The school district is still working on figuring out all details of the return plan. As the medical community learns more about the COVID-19 virus, recommendations from government leaders are regularly changing. The district is currently working on developing entry screening processes, as well as exploring options for face coverings.

The school board began first readings on five school policies. At the board retreat and training earlier this month, the board expressed that they would like to work on reviewing and updating policies.

The Waitsburg School Board meets every third Thursday, at 6 p.m. Board agendas and call-in information (for virtual meetings) can be found on the school website, http://www.waitsburgsd.org