By: Debbie Campbell
The Evergreen School Board met in Regular Session on April 20, 2020. Those that wanted to attend were able to watch through a YouTube live link that was posted on the School website. Here are some of the highlights from that meeting:
Accepted the following donations: Two LED signs valued at $700.00 from Scotty B’s LED’s to Evergreen Elementary School and Evergreen Local Schools; $500.00 from Anderzak-Pitzen to 018-9227 Donation – General Activity-MS for lunches for testing days; $750.00 from Robert H. Tripp to 007-9097 Trip Family Scholarship.
Accepted the resignation of Ms. Monica Carrizales, Elementary Guidance Counselor. Ms. Carrizales’s resignation will become effective on July 31, 2020.
Offered a one-year, 220-day contract for the 2020-2021 school year, effective August 1, 2020 to Derrick Stoup, Athletic Director (7-12) at an initial salary of $64,173.00
Approved an agreement with Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center (NwOESC) to cooperatively participate in special education services for fiscal year 2020-2021 at an estimated cost of $676,961.63.
The Board and NwOESC agree that $601,922.00 of this amount shall be paid pursuant to R.C. 3313.845 or applicable law by having this amount deducted from the Board’s state foundation payment, with any remaining balance being invoiced and paid directly to the NwOESC.
The Board authorized the Superintendent and Treasurer to accept the lowest, best bid from Cardinal Bus Sales & Service, Inc. in Lima, Ohio, and to purchase two (2) 72-passenger diesel powered buses at a cost of $173,498.00 ($86,749.00 each), less a total trade-in allowance of $4,400.00 for two (2) old buses.
The Board also accepted the lowest, best bid in the amount of $156,025.40 from Brint Electric, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, to commence work on the Exterior Lighting portion (Phase #2), and the High School building portion (Phase #3) of the district LED lighting conversion project.
The Board approved the following remote learning plan for the 2019-2020 school year in accordance with House Bill 197 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency:
SECTION I
- Each teacher shall develop a sufficient number of lessons equal to or greater than the amount of instructional time the student would receive for the days and hours of closure. A lesson shall be posted for each course that was scheduled to meet on a day that the school was closed.
- Teachers will submit the lessons to the building principal for approval. The building principal will certify that the lessons are equal to or greater than the amount of instructional time the student missed.
- The appropriate administrator will direct staff about how to make lessons available through a District approved website or other technology portal.
- The teacher will be responsible for posting the lessons online.
- Teachers will regularly assess the progress of students and will update or replace such lessons as necessary throughout the remainder of the school year based on the results of the assessments.
- Each student enrolled in a course for which a lesson or assignment is posted shall be granted a two-week period from the date of posting to complete the lesson/assignment. If the student does not complete the lesson/assignment within this time period, the student may receive an incomplete or failing grade unless the student provides a sufficient reason to the teacher justifying why they failed to complete the lesson/assignment.
- For students who experience difficulty accessing the online material or who do not have access to a computer. The Board of Education hereby authorizes “blizzard bags” as needed, which are paper copies of the lessons/assignments posted. Teachers shall prepare paper copies approximating the content of the online lessons and shall update such paper copies when updating any of the online lessons. Blizzard bags will be distributed weekly or as needed. Printed copies of any graded lessons or assignments will be included in the blizzard bags. Students utilizing this option will be granted two weeks from the date after picking them up to return completed lessons/assignments to their assigned building. If the student does not complete the lesson/assignment within this time period, the student will receive an incomplete or failing grade unless the student provides a sufficient reason to the teacher justifying why they failed to complete the lesson/assignment.
- Licensed staff including intervention specialists may provide instructional support and related services within the scope of their practice by electronic delivery method or telehealth communication to any district students, including students who receive services under Individualized Education Plans or Section 504 Services Plans, while the Director of Health’s order to close schools to students remains in effect.
- The District intends to meet its obligation to provide all students, including children with disabilities, equal access to curriculum and services during an extended school closure in accordance with state and federal law. Each building will notify parents about who they may contact if students are unable to access or participate in the program remotely because of a disability-related or other reason so that the District can explore alternative methods of instruction and possible accommodations.
SECTION II
Should circumstances warrant a change in the plan during the 2019-2020 school year, the Superintendent may amend this contingency plan at any time in his discretion.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Tentative Graduation Date is June 28th. The administration is not sure how the ceremony process will be handled but are looking into options available.
Evergreen Local Schools is offering free “grab and go” lunches for students throughout the duration of the school closure. On average they are handing out 195 lunches per delivery day. Students receive five lunches; three are delivered on Mondays, the other two are delivered on Thursdays.
Pick up locations will remain at The Farmhouse in Metamora, Christ the Word Church near Sylvania, Chesterfield Township Hall, and the entrance to the Swanton Meadows mobile home park in Ai. Currently, only new families to the program need to sign up. If you would like to take advantage of this program and your students are not already signed up, please contact backerman@evgvikings.org with the names and grades of your students, parent/guardian name along with parent/guardian email, address, phone number and preferred pick up location.
The High School locker room and weight room renovation is on schedule. Work is planned to start at the end of May and will be completed in 2 phases. Evergreen Local Schools donated 8-10 cases of gloves and disinfectants to Local EMS.
Evergreen Local Board went into Executive Session for the following reason: to consider employment of public employees, to consider the investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee or student, No action was taken following the session.
The Next Regular Meeting will be held on May 18, 2020 at 6:00 pm in the Loren Pennington Learning Center.
Debbie can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
