The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The Board of Education of La Harpe Community School District #347 held a regular April 21, 2020 meeting remotely by Zoom online application.
All members were present Jake Allen, Dana Blythe, Brian Brown, Covert, Dustin Detherage, Bobi James, and Ryan Johnson. Supt. Michelle Lee, Principal Sara Ryner and Bd. Secretary Jeanne Clayton were in attendance. The Board Secretary was present in the District Office Conference Room. There were no visitors in attendance.
The board approved the Consent Agenda which included previous minutes, financial report, and Action to Delete Verbatim Closed Meeting Recordings 18 Months and Older. The board approved the payment of bills and read an item of the Board Member Code of Conduct.
Dr. Lee presented recent COVID-19 updates from the State regarding projected losses at the State level. There may be a need to borrow to meet payroll in June/July.
The maintenance grant is approved, but may not be funded, or it may not be wise to spend our portion at this time. Lee has applied for several grants and explained the process of the federal CARES Act funding.
Mr. Dittmer’s report on the Johnson Estate will be postponed until the shelter-in-place directive has been lifted and things are back to more normal.
Meetings will continue to be held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The rescheduled June meeting will remain at June 23rd to better include year-end information.
Dr. Lee gave explanation of the budget amendment process and recommended schedule. The budget amendment hearing was set for June 23, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
The Consolidated District Plan was approved. This is a requirement for federal grants. We will continue to be a district-wide rather than targeted assistance provider for our Title I grants.
The board received PRESS Policy Issue 103 policy updates to review before the next meeting.
2020-2021 School Fees/Meal Prices were increased. Even though we have been improving as far as funds in the cafeteria, we are still operating in a deficit.
Lee presented the USDA target meal price and proposed a 10-cent increase in meal prices. Seconds will be discussed at a later meeting.
The updated Job Description for District Secretary/Transportation Director was approved. Detherage requested discussion of board secretary assignment to a board member.
Lee pointed out that taking minutes is a very small portion of the board secretary’s duties. Discussion was postponed for later.
Detherage asked to discuss the need for Chromebooks. Sholl had contacted him about needing 100 more (approx. $23k) to completely cover 2nd through 8th grades including replacing broken units. mentioned that the CARES Act funds can be used for technology when we get it.
Discussion will continue in May or later.
The board discussed how to handle 8th grade graduation with the Governor’s shelter-in-place directive.
Ideas were discussed and it was decided to include Brown and James in a committee with Prin. Ryner to work out details. Graduation awards were also discussed.
Dr. Lee’s superintendent report included information on outstanding State payments totaling $82,400 vouchered but awaiting release at the Comptroller’s office.
Lee has applied for the No Kid Hungry Grant (up to $50k) to offset the cost of providing food to our families. Our participation in grab and go meals and delivery is increasing as the shelter-in-place order continues.
The cost of meals is about double the normal cost due to the types of food we must provide.
Lee also applied for the GENYouth Grant which is up to $3k for student meals, cleaning supplies, gloves, masks, as well as stipends for employees. Lee referred to the CARES Act funding process.
Department of Defense Fresh Fruits and Vegetables have been opened up and funds added. We regularly order from this source, which is provided on a first come, first served basis as long as the funds last.
Lee applied for a Community Foundation Grant from Dot Foods which provides up to $2500 for food during this time.
Dot Foods is also giving away food to schools. The head cooks are traveling to Mt. Sterling weekly to receive these donations. Dot also donated to local food banks.
Detherage offered assistance in picking up food at Dot.
Lee mentioned the H.O.P.E. Group which has gathered monetary donations from individuals and churches to pay off all remaining student meal balances. Another individual paid off remaining book rent and room milk balances.
We have 3 applicants so far for the District Secretary position and plan to begin interviews after a few more applications are received.
Due to increased COVID-19 cases in our area, staff in both offices will begin working remotely. Offices will be open on Mondays and Thursdays.
Principal Ryner reported that face to face learning has been cancelled for the duration of the school year.
We have been doing remote learning since March 17. Teachers have been working to reach our students. We have loaned out 42 Chromebooks for students to use at home until our last day.
We have taken advantage of some free programs, as well as purchased a few for teachers.
We began with many paper packets and have progressed to almost total online learning in 1st -8th grades.
Local positive COVID-19 test results and isolations began the second week of April for some of our students’ families.
We are taking attendance via assignment completion on a weekly basis.
I reach out to students not doing work to see how we can help. We have very few students who need alternate assignments outside of Google Classroom.
It has been difficult to ask teachers for certain amounts or types of remote learning instruction given they all have different home lives, internet connections and family responsibilities not to mention comfort levels with technology. Ryner has been traveling to deliver Chromebooks and homework.
We are constantly brainstorming as a staff of ways we can motivate and engage students. Equity is a huge concern. The socioeconomic achievement gap is widening.
We are making 1310 grab and go meals each week. Parents pick them up between 8 and 10 on Mondays.
We usually only have about 2 families forget and we deliver. Dr. Lee and Jeanne deliver to about 6 locations each week.
K-5 teachers have selected a curriculum and I will purchase with Title funds.
Ryner shared the positives she is seeing despite the many negatives of the pandemic:
No Closed Meeting was required.