By Emily Massingill
editor@
themonroetimes.com
MONROE — At the School District of Monroe Board of Education meeting Aug. 10 held with an option to attend via Zoom teleconference or in person, the board approved a paid workday for professional and support staff to fully prepare for the school year.
The board approved a back to school plan July 21 with options for in person learning, a hybrid plan where half of students would learn in person and a plan for online learning.
The board approved later that students would start the first four weeks in “Plan B,” the hybrid plan dividing students into two groups where they would attend a week at a time and rotate opposite weeks with online learning. This was done to help parents plan and for teachers, students and staff to get used to school safety measures and adjustments.
Agreeing to pay teachers and staff for an additional day was proposed by District Administrator Rick Waski due to teachers and staff needing more time to prepare for virtual platforms and to ensure safety precautions are in place for returning students.
Teachers will now have the option to work an additional day on Aug. 31, the day before school starts. Waski said the day wouldn’t be flexible and could not be done virtually.
The move will cost the district $72,000 plus benefits if everyone elects to work on that date. Waski said the day will be kept free of meetings to allow teachers to focus on preparing classrooms and planning for safety measures for students.
Waski said feedback from many teachers and support staff brought the belief that they could use an additional in-service day and he worked with Business Manager Ron Olson to see if it was feasible in the school’s budget.
“I don’t think it’s right to just expect this day be done voluntarily,” Waski said.
The day will be optional for teachers and staff and only those who work will be paid.
Olson said it was possible in the budget because there were savings from the spring, when students went to e-learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the school received its first round of federal funding, Olson said they aren’t sure that more funding will come. The school has already spent money on personal protective equipment, additional Chromebooks and cleaning equipment and supplies to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Olson said there will likely be upcoming educational costs to support students who choose Plan H, which is entirely online. More than 300 students have currently opted into Plan H.
There is an account fund balance to be used for extraordinary situations and leaning on that during COVID-19 would make sense, Olson said.
“We know there’s going to be additional costs,” Olson said. “We also know that this is an anomaly.”
Although Waski said they hoped to develop some staff experts to lead the way during the district’s Jumpstart Summer School program, that was canceled after Green County COVID-19 numbers recently spiked and moved the county into the “high” category.