School Board Votes To Extend Distance Learning
Graduation Plans Underway
The Wolf Point School District board of trustees held a special meeting Monday, April 27. Trustees Corey Reum, Janice Wemmer-Kegley, Lanette Clark and Mark Zilkoski were in attendance, as were chair Mark Kurokawa and vice chair Linda L. Hansen. Superintendent Loverty Erickson was also present. More than 50 district and school staff members and members of the public viewed the meeting.
Following the call to order and salute, Erickson made her recommendations to the board about continuing school closure with offsite/remote instruction effective through June 30. She released a statement laying out a recommendation for motion along with the board packet: “I move that the board of trustees declare an unforeseen emergency within the meaning of that term as set forth in Title 20, Chapter 9, Part 8, to become immediately effective and to continue through June 30, 2020. This motion is based on COVID-19 risks; in recognition that the Governor’s waiver of student instruction time will expire on May 7; and in recognition that the Governor’s April 22, 2020, Directive implicating Executive Orders 2-2020 and 3-2020 specifies that elected school boards and their districts that adopt their own declaration of emergency will continue to receive all state funding, including transportation funding.”
The board approved the motion unanimously.
The board also approved a series of policies considering the of suspension of District Policy 1310 for the purposes of adopting Montana School Board Association Model Emergency Policies.
Erickson said adopting the policies altogether allows the board flexibility moving forward. The motion read as follows: “I move the Board of Trustees of Wolf Point School District suspend District Policy 1310 for the limited purpose of considering, reviewing, identifying needed options and adopting Policies 1900-1912 after one reading. This motion is exclusive to the consideration of Policies 1900-1912 at the meeting held on April 27, 2020, and will not apply to other meetings or topics.”
The policies passed apply to holding small gatherings of less than 50 students, community health and safety procedures and requirements and student instructions and services. The district must adhere to all implications of CDC recommendations for all stakeholders. The district has plans in each school building.
The district calendar was approved for the 2020-2021 school year per school committee recommendations.
Graduation will go on as scheduled for the eighth-grade and the high school. Venue selection and planning efforts are underway, but the board stipulated that scheduled dates for both graduations will remain in place. High school graduation is set for Sunday, May 24. Junior high graduation will be Tuesday, May 26.
