A major step is coming for USD 253 Emporia at the end of this month.
During the USD 253 Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening, board members approved a move into step five of the district’s COVID-19 Instructional Education Model by a vote of 6-1. This will mean a complete return to in-person learning for all students grades 6-12 who choose to do so beginning Monday, Mar. 29th.
The board’s decision followed a report from the COVID-19 advisory committee in which the committee recommended a move to step four on the same timeline.
The district is currently in step three of the learning model with 50 percent of the student population attending onsite classes twice a week alongside the continuous cohort of students with specialized learning needs. Step four would have seen 75 percent of the student population at Emporia Middle School and Emporia High School attending onsite learning four times a week on an alphabetical rotation.
Board President Mike Crouch, alongside Vice-President Leslie Seeley, Art Guttierez, Melissa Ogelby, Jeremy Dorsey and Doug Epp, voted in favor of the move to step five.
He says local metrics are in the best shape they have been since last summer and with vaccinations ongoing steadily, now was the best time to make the move. He adds concerns of learning loss due to students not being in classrooms on a regular basis.
The decision to move to step five comes as 65 percent of the district’s employees have received at least their initial COVID-19 vaccination as of Wednesday.
Grant Riles was the loan no vote saying he would prefer a more conservative approach.
Despite the move back to full onsite learning, the district will still maintain its virtual learning option for those who would prefer to continue learning remotely for the remainder of the year.
Crouch adds the district’s decision only affects academics and has no impact on athletics. The district will continue to follow all KSHSAA guidelines for participation and attendance at any and all sporting events.
In other business, the board received a construction update on the Building for the Future Bond initiative. The update included a percentage towards completion on all phase one projects.
Work on Walnut School is 39 percent complete, construction on the new Jones Early Childhood Development Center is 22 percent complete and Emporia High School is at the percent mark towards completion.
According to Eric Woltjie of McCownGordon, they have received schematic design documents for work on Logan Avenue Elementary School which is one building included in the next phase of construction. The project is tentatively set to go out for bid in May.
The USD 253 Board of Education is set to reconvene on Wednesday, Mar. 24th at 6pm inside the Mary Herbert Education Center.
