NRHEG School Board
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
The NRHEG Board of Education met Monday, Nov. 23 to consider moving the elementary school to distance learning, and for how long; and also consider extending the secondary school’s distance learning period. Present were nurse Donna Olson and elementary principal Doug Anderson.
DALE CARLSON: As of 1 p.m. today (Nov. 23), there are eight known cases of isolation or positive cases in the school district, six of them in the secondary school, and 54 quarantines, nine in the secondary school and 45 in the elementary school. Counties over the last two weeks, Freeborn 84, Steele about 90, and Waseca 58. Projected: Freeborn +124-128, Steele +145, Waseca +105.”
Five possible motions were presented for consideration, with the object of moving the school back to hybrid slowly and giving consideration to small groups.
1. Move the elementary school to distance learning effective Tuesday Dec. 1. Monday, November 30 would be a staff preparation day. Non-class day for elementary only. This would extend to Friday, December 11 with a return to hybrid learning on Monday, December 14.
2. Distance learning to extend to January 15.
3. Distance learning to extend to December 23, with a return day of January 4
4. Just one week, through Friday, Dec. 4.
5. Maintain hybrid learning; may be changed by administration or board at later time.
Travis Routh asked Anderson how the district is doing with staff.
DOUG ANDERSON: Each day we’re shuttling people around from one assignment to another; I’ve been able to be in the classrooms most every day.
RICK SCHULTZ: In the event that we do move to a distance learing model, would there still be some students participating in person?
DOUG ANDERSON: We’re looking into bringing in a large majority of our special education students for a half day or more, to work with a paraprofessional.
DALE CARLSON: Districts are not required to, but we feel it’s necessary for the school to survive.
NEIL SCHLAAK: I think the elementary students do much better in the classroom, and they’re better with the protocol than the secondary students, and I think there may be a big mess when they do come back into the classroom.
RICK SCHULTZ I’ve had the opportunity to observe and they are all doing a great job with the masks and protocol, from the students to the teachers and staff, even the janitors.
NEIL SCHLAAK: I don’t want to go against the Dept of Health, but they are just all doing so well. I think it would be just great if we could just stay where we’re at until Christmas, unless there’s a bad outbreak or a staffing issue.
JOANN MALONEY: I appreciate all those comments and I think they’re valid, but I also don’t know how we are going to keep them out of distance learning when the numbers are so high in the district and all the counties, and the state, and the hospitals are full. And I’m also concerned about going counter to the recommendations of the state and the health department. They are very concerned about us keeping our buildings open.
KAREN FLATNESS: I understand that, but has anyone been looking at the recommendations of the CDC during all this? They are saying that the safest place for our kids to be during this is in the school. When they’re distance learning they’re still getting out, and if they’re in school we can monitor them from 8 to 3:30 every day. They need supervision. We have school age kids who have both parents working. Are the kids getting what they’re supposed to get out of it? Do they understand what’s going on? We have to teach our kids the best way to handle it.
RICK SCHULTZ: The e-mail that we’ve gotten from the County Health Department, there was a fair amount of direction provided. Up to this point we’ve been watching other districts and trying to make decisions, but there was a pretty direct statement from our regional support team that addressed “K-12.” Are we out on an island here, or are we conforming with other districts?
DALE CARLSON: We are trying to balance what we all believe. And I can’t find a single person who doesn’t believe that our kids are best off when they’re in the school in person in the classroom with their teachers. But it’s not just what’s happening in the school, it’s what’s happening in the community. And just in the last week things have changed and some districts are changing.
DONNA OLSON: There are over 20-some families that have a mom and dad and two or three kids, the whole family are positive. This is so overwhelming sometimes, the number of cases that I’ve seen. I’ve seen a dozen students just today who had to go in quarantine.
TRAVIS ROUTH: But the numbers, where are they coming from? Isn’t it true that the school district is doing well compared to the counties?
DONNA OLSON: We don’t know. Everyone is so busy, there are many of what they call “lost” cases, cases we don’t have time or information to follow up on. They can’t catch up. People won’t answer their phones; they won’t give out information.
TRAVIS ROUTH: Looking at the first motion, for two weeks. Is there any indication that things are going to get better in that time, or is it just going to get worse?
RICK SCHULTZ: It doesn’t show any sign of slowing down; it’s probably going to get still worse. I’ve been taking a position of not trying to look too far ahead and just dealing with the immediate future. It might start to come down as fast as it’s gone up. Two weeks might be optimistic in that statement.
DALE CARLSON: The two weeks, you just make decisions as you go along, for the next two weeks, and if things are such that we have to go for another two weeks, or not, we’ll do that, and keep on that way. This motion basically just gives the board time to decide again in another two weeks. Except for activities, back when that was a thing*. It hasn’t been an easy conversation for us to have. Waseca is going to re-evaluate in the middle of December.
*(Carlson is referring to Gov. Walz’s “Dial Back Minnesota,” banning all activities between Nov. 20 and Dec. 18.)
NEIL SCHLAAK: It just looks like the numbers are going to keep getting higher. I’m not advocating playing with fire or anything, but are we best just to keep running until we deal with the problem?
DALE CARLSON: The problem is our staff and our faculty — as we’ve said, they’ve been incredible, but there is a lot of stress and worry involved, and we have to be concerned about not just the holiday, but the two holidays together. What’s going to happen to our staff when they start getting it and needing hospitalization? It’s a tough, tough choice, to balance a concern for public health with the learning that goes on within our school.
RICK SCHULTZ: I feel a very serious concern from our school nurse and our county officials, and to me this concern needs to be respected. These are concerns that are deeper than the concerns of school board members.
DONNA OLSON: When people get together – they’re not supposed to, but we know they’re going to – by the time they get back to school before Christmas break, we’ll have more outbreaks. So what they recommend is two two-week cycles. Why two weeks? Because people don’t show symptoms for 14 days. And we want to make sure to get all of them before the next wave happens.
KAREN FLATNESS: I’ve spoken to some teachers from another district, and they want those elementary kids in front of them. They know how crucial these years are for the beginning learner.
RICK SCHULTZ: I think Travis is right, that we aren’t feeling the pressure from the Ellendale community, it’s a different situation and is under better control.
KAREN FLATNESS: We are losing in the secondary, especially the slow learners.
RICK SCHULTZ: I struggle with bringing the secondary back in the peak of the numbers.
TRAVIS ROUTH: I see upper grade classes with 4-5 kids in a class, I don’t see how much more distance you can have.
DOUG ANDERSON: In the last week there has been a significant heightened anxiety among the staff, not just in the primary, but the upper elementary.
The board passed motion No. 5, to continue hybrid learning in the elementary school until further notice, and continue distance learning in the Secondary school through Wednesday, Dec. 23 and tentatively move back to hybrid all grades Jan. 4.
Activities will resume on Dec 21.