South Barber School Board adopts adaptation plan to start school in a COVID-19 environment
August 12, 2020
Just as the South Barber School USD255 in Kiowa, Kansas, is anxious to get students back in the building for live classroom learning, the Freedom Gates Boys Ranch at Hazelton is excited to have their boys stay on campus with a virtual learning experience.
There's “a murky debate” statewide as Kansas school districts try to adhere to the governor's executive orders to wear masks, follow CDC guidelines, have an effective learning experience for students and keep everyone in the buildings safe.
The South Barber Board of Education held a special morning meeting last Thursday at the central office to take action on the Adaptation Plan for reopening school for the 2020-21 year; to consider hiring a part-time custodian to disinfect and clean rooms in the evening; and consider a contract with Southwinds Academy through SB's virtual program to provide educational services to Freedom Gates Boys Ranch students, group homes, and foster care group homes.
All board members were present as President Mark Pollock called the meeting to order: Mike Miller, Ryan Molz, Bryan Quick, Deb Helfrich, Emily Lohmann and Jenna Mostert. Superintendent Dr. Mylo Miller sat at the board table as did District and Board Clerk Julie Johnson. Assistant Elementary Principal Kaynette Scheck also attended.
Superintendent Miller said they are offering two options to students. “We encourage onsite learning. Hopefully families will choose this option. We're anxious to have everyone back to school.”
Remote Learning Option Restricts Extracurriculars
Continuing, he said, “We will have a remote learning option for families that are concerned about COVID-19 that will be a lot different than distance learning online did last spring. I want the school board to make it clear to families who choose this option that they must do it throughout the fall semester. They cannot come back into the school this fall and cannot participate in extracurricular activities.” The superintendent explained that with remote learning, students are restricted from extracurricular activities due to the audit and funding. The state says no.
“I want to open school as normally as possibly,” Dr. Miller said.
The governor's order mandates that everyone wear masks, which he intends to encourage. SB has masks and sanitation. “When we can social distance six feet apart in a classroom we can take our masks off,” Dr. Miller said. Otherwise, everyone in the school is expected to follow the governor's order. The school has 1,000 masks, paid for with money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on March 27.
The superintendent told the board, “90 counties are doing their own thing. They have put it back on you.” Conversation ensued among board members about endless scenarios with COVID-19 and what if someone at the school tests positive. “If we have a COVID-19 case, we contact the health department. That's what the state says to do,” the superintendent said.
Some of the many considerations are liability, defining close contact, defining risks and much more. The superintendent said there is so much confusion in Kansas currently. He said the attorney general said the governor was overstepping with the mask order. The Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) is saying that you are not immune from liability.
“We're not going to prevent COVID, but we can mitigate exposure,” the superintendent said. “We're mitigating the possibility of further people being in quarantine out of your classroom or shutting your entire school down.”
Applies for CARES Funds, Speaks of Hardship to Teachers
“Our teachers are going to be under a lot of stress and are working tremendously hard. Our teachers are having to prepare for onsite learning and remote learning. And they have to prepare for remote learning if this whole thing goes down. This scenario has tripled their workload,” the superintendent said.
He's requested CARES money in the amount of $360,000 for South Barber because of this need.
When discussing the protocols they'll follow and all the “what if” scenarios, these were some of the points made:
• When on the bus, students must wear masks.
• All will have temperature checks at the door before entering the school.
• Shields cannot take the place of a mask. Only medical exemptions.
• Depending on circumstances, a clean mask should be used daily.
• KSHAA Guidelines say masks for everyone.
Pollock said, “The bottom line is we want to keep the kids in school. So be it if we have to jump through these hoops. We already saw the distance learning deal isn't the ideal way to do it. Whatever we have to do to keep our doors open – let's do what we have to do and keep everybody safe and healthy.”
Miller said, “We are mitigating these risks. We are here to educate our kids. We're going to do our best protecting our students and staff.”
With many questions about liability and Gov. Kelly's mask order, Dr. Miller said, “I don't think we're going against her, I just don't think it's enforceable.” She said, “We're mitigating liability. We're mitigating risk.
“We're doing our best to keep kids in the building, take it case by case, let them play sports – I know it's going to be inconvenient. But it's a heck of a lot better than what we had the last nine weeks. That was horrible.”
Following this lengthy discussion, the board unanimously voted to approve SB's Adaptation Plan for reopening the school for the 2020-21 year.
To Hire at Least Part-Time Custodian
With the need to disinfect and clean rooms now more than ever with COVID-19 the agenda listed possible action to hire a part-time custodian. Quick and Pollock both said they think it should be more like a full-time job that will be in the evenings. The board authorized the superintendent to hire appropriate help. The superintendent said he is interviewing candidates.
Freedom Gates Boys Ranch Changes Plan Since Meeting
The agenda listed possible action on a contract for the Freedom Gates Boys Ranch (FGBR). The board voted to enter a one-year contract with Southwinds Academy through South Barber's virtual program to provide educational services to Freedom Gates Boys Ranch (FGBR) students, group homes and foster care group homes. South Barber's (SB) cost would be $2,000/child. In return SB gets roughly $4,500 (based on needs) per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student enrolled from FGBR.
Then SB provides teacher support, computers, etc., for FGBR. In the past FGBR students have attended classes at SB. FGBR Director Michael Simpson said when COVID hit last spring and the boys stayed “on campus” at their facility in Hazelton it went well. Receiving distance learning online with South Barber, Simpson said the boys brought their grades up and improved in many aspects this spring. He wants to continue the virtual learning and keeping the boys on their campus.
“COVID really ramped up our timeline. When we saw how well our guys adjusted this spring, we didn't want to lose that momentum,” Simpson told the Newsgram Monday night. “Our guys are too fragile to handle distractions.”
Dr. Miller told the board he does not favor that scenario of those boys not in the classroom. “We're not signing up to be an online school. This is a one-year contract. Michael thinks this is the best setting for his kids.”
If a student comes to FGBR after Sept. 21, they would not qualify for services from SB because they would have missed the enrollment/student funding deadline.
FGBR is operated by a board as follows: FGBR board members are Will Schmucker, president, Medicine Lodge; James Littlefield, Alva; Ron Phipps, Medicine Lodge; Tom Foulkrod; Ron Allenbach, Kiowa; and Dennis Blake, Hazelton.
Currently Simpson said they have five boys enrolled. Simpson and his wife Ariel have been houseparents since last November. They live with the boys in their small facility known as the Blue House. He said their goal is to have 13 guys living in the big house or Blake House (former Hazelton school). Longtime houseparents Dennis and Nancy Blake are still respite care parents.
The average age of the boys at FGBR is 12 to 14. They stay an average of two years. Most of the guys' goal is to reintegrate back with their family, Simpson said.
The boys' routine this summer has been summer weights, camping, horsemanship, lots of mowing, playing board games, going to private swimming holes, doing evening chores (for their chickens, horses, steers and a heifer, trash and bathroom duty).
“Then it's nightly devotions. Go to bed and start all over. They need the simple things,” Simpson said.
One of the favorite scriptures found on the FGBR website and used by them is Galatians 5:22: … the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Simpson told the Newsgram, “After meeting with the board, I'm enrolling our kids through an online academy. I've really tried to work with South Barber and there's no option for extracurricular if you are doing virtual learning. Our guys aren't too upset about sports. It's the boys' opinion they would rather have no sports and stay on campus.”
Simpson continued, “It breaks my heart 'cause I love our school district. I put no fault on South Barber. That's just the way it is this year. I don't want this to end our relationship with South Barber. But for this year it's best.”
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