Clearbrook-Gonvick elementary student returned to school Monday
Tue, 11/17/2020 - 3:14pm
admin
By:
Bonnie Kirchman
In a special meeting held on Monday, November 9th, the Clearbrook-Gonvick school board voted to return elementary students to school beginning November 16th. High school students will return to classes under the hybrid model at a date to be determined by administration. Distance learning on Fridays will continue for both the elementary and the high school.
Superintendent Jeff Burgess reviewed the process the school is using to decide on the appropriate learning model. The safety team continues to meet and review county data on COVID-19 cases. This team makes a recommendation to school administrators, and this is shared with the school board.
“It’s an incredibly difficult decision moving forward, I don’t think there are any easy answers,” Burgess said, “There are many factors involved.”
During the meeting, the board received input from teachers, parents and the school administration.
The elementary teachers wrote a letter that was read by Lori Beard, expressing their preference to teach students in-person four days a week. If the district choose not to do the in-person teaching model, the teachers’ second choice would be to continue with distance learning. The letter explained why the teachers do not want to move to the hybrid teaching model. The hybrid model requires a constant shift of students, causing extra stress on families and teachers.
Parent Kori Machlitt also spoke to the board, expressing her concerns about the distance learning model and its impact on her own children. She feels her elementary-aged student, and many others in the district, are missing so much by not being in school including their teachers’ help, the routine, and the stable environment that school provides.
Burgess presented the updated case numbers for the school. Twenty-eight students and three staff members were under quarantine. The active case rate for the county was approximately 120, while the Minnesota Department of Health’s latest figure was 88.52.
While the county health personnel would prefer the school stay in the distance learning model, other school districts in the area with higher case numbers are working under other learning models. Burgess explained that in the decision-making processes set by the MDE and MDH, county case rates are just one factor schools look at. Other factors that schools look at include how case rates impact the school, if there is evidence of case spread at school, and adequate availability of staff.
Points included in the discussion were that younger students and their families are struggling more than the older students in the distance learning model. The elementary students stay in their class all day, making social distancing easier than in the high school. Because of day care needs, elementary students are probably more likely to be mixing with more people when they are not in school.
Staffing continues to be an issue for the district due to a shortage of substitute teachers. Because of this, the board did not select a date for returning high school students. Mr. Burgess explained that staffing needs for the elementary school can be covered immediately. But he was not confident in their ability to provide the necessary staff for the high school in the next week. Once staffing is available, the high school will move to the hybrid model.
Under the hybrid model, the high school students will be able to resume in-person extracurricular activities.
The safety committee will also address this at their next meeting. Coaches Casey Kroulik and Sarah Goudge spoke during the meeting, conveying their teams’ hopes to return to finish the season.
In other business, the board approved the candidacy returns for the school board election. The regular school board meeting for the month of November has been moved to Monday, November 23rd.