Board approves calendar changes; principals report on first day

     Changes to the 2020-21 school calendar that were deemed necessary due to COVID-19 were approved by the Monticello School Board at its regular meeting Aug. 24.

     The changes were part of the district’s Return to Learn plan that was approved at the board’s July 27 meeting.

     They include splitting the school day during the first week so that students have in-person learning in the morning and online learning in the afternoon, and having Wednesdays earmarked for online learning only throughout the school year.

     However, by state law, any changes to a school’s calendar are subject to a public hearing, followed by an official vote of the board.

     The public hearing was held at the start of Monday’s meeting to hear comments about the proposed changes, and none were offered.

     Also at the meeting, the district’s three building principals reported on the first day of school, which was also Monday, in which students returned to school buildings for the first time since they were shut down by COVID-19 in March.

     All three indicated that with few exceptions, things went smoothly.

     “If somebody would have said, ‘This is what the (first) day is going to look like,’ would I take it? I’d say, I’ll take it,” elementary principal Denny Folken said. “I would call it a pretty good success.”

     New middle school principal Todd Werner agreed: “As a whole, for a first day, after five and a half months off of school, it was a very good day. “(We were) in a new building, learning new procedures, but busing went well, our start to the day went well, and it was just great to have kids in the building.”

     High school principal Joan Young said students and teachers were doing a good job wearing their face coverings. There are minor issues to be worked on, she said, such as students keeping their face coverings in their lockers instead of wearing them both entering and leaving the building, as required.

     But, she added, “All in all, I think the teachers were excited to get back, and we’re so happy to see the kids back in the building. It’s been too long.”

In other board business

     • The board and Superintendent Brian Jaeger presented a recognition certificate to Bud Johnson, who is stepping down after seven years on the board in order to spend more time with family in Arizona. Monday’s meeting was Johnson’s last (see story in next week’s Express).

     • As part of the consent agenda, the board approved several personnel items, including:

     Resignations: Sarah Domer-Sleep as special education child specific associate at the high school, Andrea Ries as special education child specific associate at Carpenter, Luke McDonald as assistant varsity wrestling coach and grade 7-8 wrestling coach, and Doug Ries as middle school volleyball coach.

     Appointment: Doug Ries as middle school cross country coach, Kolby Harms as mentor for Scotty Hall, and Kim McQuillen as freshman volleyball coach.

     • Budget and contracts for the State Wide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) were also approved by the board.

     • The board approved changing the date of its regular September board meeting from Sept. 28 to Sept. 21. With Johnson stepping down, the board had 30 days from Monday to appoint a replacement, and the meeting change allows the board to approve the new person within that window.