With a lot of uncertainty still present regarding the exact look of the 2020-21 academic year due to COVID-19, USD 253 Emporia Public Schools continues planning for a variety of scenarios.
During the USD 253 Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening Superintendent Kevin Case provided an update on the district’s current plans. Case says there is nothing solidified as of this moment, however, he did detail three options currently present including having on-site face-to-face classes, a return to remote only classes or a hybrid of the two.
Case says regardless of how the district chooses to proceed the upcoming academic year will “look very different.” He adds if face-to-face classes do resume several mitigation efforts will likely be put in place to protect the health of students and staff alike.
Case says staff should be prepared to address a wide range of concerns from district patrons regardless of the route they choose to take.
Also during his presentation Case mentioned the district is planning to return to a full-time in-person work environment as soon as Jul. 27, however, further details are currently pending. The 2020-21 academic year is scheduled to begin on Aug. 20.
In other business Wednesday, board members unanimously approved the acceptance of a three-year, $80,000 grant from the Lifetime Foundation to help the Food Service Department make more meals from scratch and rely less on highly processed foods.
The board also gave approval for the district’s business office to give one year of financial movement on the district’s pay scale for all staff. The purchase of LTE iPads to be used by four-year-old students of Maynard Early Childhood Center also gained unanimous approval. The total cost of the purchase is just over $55,000.
The USD 253 Board of Education will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, Jul. 8 at 7 pm via Zoom. The meeting will be streamed on the district’s website.
