November 17, 2020 at 6:49 p.m.
Board approves weekly delay
Jay Schools will be on a two-hour delay each Wednesday
Board approves weekly delay
Teachers and staff will get a couple of extra hours each week to help them deal with the expanded workload caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Jay School Board on Monday approved a weekly two-hour delay on Wednesdays to allow teachers and other staff time to catch up and prepare. The board also adjusted its remote learning plans in case there is a need for a temporary school closure.
Board members Phil Ford, Ron Laux, Krista Muhlenkamp, Chris Snow, Mike Shannon, Donna Geesaman and Jason Phillips unanimously approved the plan to have a two-hour delay each Wednesday. The new policy goes into effect Dec. 2. (Jay School Corporation is not in session on Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving.)
Teachers will still report to school at the regular time on Wednesdays, but will have the first two hours of the day to catch up on work as needed.
Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley noted the extra work teachers have taken on as they are serving students who are in classes in person and those who have been forced to quarantine because they have tested positive for COVID-19 or been a close contact to someone who has tested positive. At Jay County Junior-Senior High School, many teachers have also been covering for others during what had been scheduled as their prep period because of a shortage of substitutes.
“It’s pretty obvious to me our system is feeling stress,” said Gulley.
“I think we all recognize that our teachers, for that matter all employees, are pretty much stretched to the limit,” added Ford. “This may not appear to be much, but its something we can do that hopefully will be helpful to all …”
The board also updated the emergency remote learning plan after Gulley noted that he believes the hybrid model — alternating days of in-person and remote learning — is not feasible on a short-term basis. Instead, he said, if a closure is necessary, schools would shift to 100% virtual learning, likely for a two-week period.
Those decisions are based in part on the state’s color-coded dashboard that rates counties as having minimal, moderate, medeium to high or very high community spread of COVID-19. Jay County has been in the medium to high range for several weeks and is expected to be again this week when the Indiana State Department of Health dashboard is updated Wednesday.
The guidelines call for Jay Schools to remain in-person at the minimal and moderate levels. At medium to high, the corporation is to “consider” a shift to remote learning for Jay County Junior-Senior High School. At very high, the junior-senior high is to shift to remote learning, with consideration of remote learning for the elementary schools as well.
If any changes are made, they will be announced on a Wednesday after the state update with implementation to follow on Friday.
Gulley noted that many school closures in the state have been the result not of the spread of COVID-19 among students, but rather a lack of teachers or support staff. (As of Monday, Jay Schools had a total of 199 students and 14 staff members excluded because of COVID-19.) For that reason, he noted that in most cases extracurriculars have been allowed to continue.
As the school calendar shifts with the start of winter sports last week and holiday concerts planned for next month, Ford, the board president, made a personal appeal in regard to extracurricular activities.
“If you attend one of these events, whether you’re a student or whether you’re an adult, whether it’s a band concert or a swim meet or a basketball game or whatever, (I ask) that you adhere to what’s been asked of you in terms of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing,” he said, emphasizing that he was speaking as an individual and not in his role as board president. He noted the work that staff and students have done to make extracurriculars possible during the pandemic and said following the guidelines would help ensure that those efforts are not in vain. “I would appreciate it very much if you’d try to do that as much as possible.”
The board also approved the 2021-22 school calendar, with classes to begin Aug. 12 and end May 19. Fall break will be Oct. 20 through 22, winter break from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 and spring break from March 21 through 25. Former built-in snow days for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day have been removed because of the implementation of e-learning.
It also approved a plan to make up a day of school after the first day this year — Sept. 9 — was canceled because of fog. Students will be given e-learning assignments before winter break that will need to be completed within the first two days after returning to school in January.
In other business, the board:
•During the Patriot Pride moment, heard from Gulley about presentations made last week in celebration of Veterans Day. Gulley, who is retired from the Indiana National Guard, said he felt it was important that the holiday be recognized.
•Heard the financial report from interim business manager Shannon Current (see related story). The corporation estimates a budget surplus of $897,953 in the education fund this year, which would bring the year-end balance to just under $3.5 million.
•Approved the following: Hiring instruction assistants Christy Moore (junior-senior high) and Belinda Cronin (East Jay); a leave of absence for transportation director Melissa Stephen; the purchase of a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Touring van from Fuqua Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Dunkirk at a cost of $27,900; and permission for Current to make transfers as needed prior to the end of the fiscal year.
•Heard an update on the about 400 students who are attending school virtually this year from director of e-learning Katie Clark. She told the board that students who have fallen behind — 122 of 225 at the junior-senior high school and 30 of 168 at the elementary school level — had been notified of their status. Some have caught up or returned to in-person learning in some form. Parents will receive a letter Dec. 7 about their options for the spring semester, with the deadline to decide on in-person or e-learning set for Dec. 21. If students are not keeping up with their virtual school work, they may be compelled to return to in-person classes.
•Accepted the resignation of Redkey Elementary School custodian Clint Littler.
•Approved extracurricular assignments, including Matt Slavik as FFA advisor, Melynda James as gymnastics coach, Cain Bilbrey as JCHS thespian club sponsor and drama director, and Aaron Daniels as assistant boys basketball coach.
•Accepted $1.29 million in federal and state grants.
Jay School Board on Monday approved a weekly two-hour delay on Wednesdays to allow teachers and other staff time to catch up and prepare. The board also adjusted its remote learning plans in case there is a need for a temporary school closure.
Board members Phil Ford, Ron Laux, Krista Muhlenkamp, Chris Snow, Mike Shannon, Donna Geesaman and Jason Phillips unanimously approved the plan to have a two-hour delay each Wednesday. The new policy goes into effect Dec. 2. (Jay School Corporation is not in session on Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving.)
Teachers will still report to school at the regular time on Wednesdays, but will have the first two hours of the day to catch up on work as needed.
Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley noted the extra work teachers have taken on as they are serving students who are in classes in person and those who have been forced to quarantine because they have tested positive for COVID-19 or been a close contact to someone who has tested positive. At Jay County Junior-Senior High School, many teachers have also been covering for others during what had been scheduled as their prep period because of a shortage of substitutes.
“It’s pretty obvious to me our system is feeling stress,” said Gulley.
“I think we all recognize that our teachers, for that matter all employees, are pretty much stretched to the limit,” added Ford. “This may not appear to be much, but its something we can do that hopefully will be helpful to all …”
The board also updated the emergency remote learning plan after Gulley noted that he believes the hybrid model — alternating days of in-person and remote learning — is not feasible on a short-term basis. Instead, he said, if a closure is necessary, schools would shift to 100% virtual learning, likely for a two-week period.
Those decisions are based in part on the state’s color-coded dashboard that rates counties as having minimal, moderate, medeium to high or very high community spread of COVID-19. Jay County has been in the medium to high range for several weeks and is expected to be again this week when the Indiana State Department of Health dashboard is updated Wednesday.
The guidelines call for Jay Schools to remain in-person at the minimal and moderate levels. At medium to high, the corporation is to “consider” a shift to remote learning for Jay County Junior-Senior High School. At very high, the junior-senior high is to shift to remote learning, with consideration of remote learning for the elementary schools as well.
If any changes are made, they will be announced on a Wednesday after the state update with implementation to follow on Friday.
Gulley noted that many school closures in the state have been the result not of the spread of COVID-19 among students, but rather a lack of teachers or support staff. (As of Monday, Jay Schools had a total of 199 students and 14 staff members excluded because of COVID-19.) For that reason, he noted that in most cases extracurriculars have been allowed to continue.
As the school calendar shifts with the start of winter sports last week and holiday concerts planned for next month, Ford, the board president, made a personal appeal in regard to extracurricular activities.
“If you attend one of these events, whether you’re a student or whether you’re an adult, whether it’s a band concert or a swim meet or a basketball game or whatever, (I ask) that you adhere to what’s been asked of you in terms of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing,” he said, emphasizing that he was speaking as an individual and not in his role as board president. He noted the work that staff and students have done to make extracurriculars possible during the pandemic and said following the guidelines would help ensure that those efforts are not in vain. “I would appreciate it very much if you’d try to do that as much as possible.”
The board also approved the 2021-22 school calendar, with classes to begin Aug. 12 and end May 19. Fall break will be Oct. 20 through 22, winter break from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 and spring break from March 21 through 25. Former built-in snow days for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day have been removed because of the implementation of e-learning.
It also approved a plan to make up a day of school after the first day this year — Sept. 9 — was canceled because of fog. Students will be given e-learning assignments before winter break that will need to be completed within the first two days after returning to school in January.
In other business, the board:
•During the Patriot Pride moment, heard from Gulley about presentations made last week in celebration of Veterans Day. Gulley, who is retired from the Indiana National Guard, said he felt it was important that the holiday be recognized.
•Heard the financial report from interim business manager Shannon Current (see related story). The corporation estimates a budget surplus of $897,953 in the education fund this year, which would bring the year-end balance to just under $3.5 million.
•Approved the following: Hiring instruction assistants Christy Moore (junior-senior high) and Belinda Cronin (East Jay); a leave of absence for transportation director Melissa Stephen; the purchase of a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Touring van from Fuqua Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Dunkirk at a cost of $27,900; and permission for Current to make transfers as needed prior to the end of the fiscal year.
•Heard an update on the about 400 students who are attending school virtually this year from director of e-learning Katie Clark. She told the board that students who have fallen behind — 122 of 225 at the junior-senior high school and 30 of 168 at the elementary school level — had been notified of their status. Some have caught up or returned to in-person learning in some form. Parents will receive a letter Dec. 7 about their options for the spring semester, with the deadline to decide on in-person or e-learning set for Dec. 21. If students are not keeping up with their virtual school work, they may be compelled to return to in-person classes.
•Accepted the resignation of Redkey Elementary School custodian Clint Littler.
•Approved extracurricular assignments, including Matt Slavik as FFA advisor, Melynda James as gymnastics coach, Cain Bilbrey as JCHS thespian club sponsor and drama director, and Aaron Daniels as assistant boys basketball coach.
•Accepted $1.29 million in federal and state grants.
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