By Julie Johansen
During the virtual Emery School Board meeting on May 6, Superintendent Larry Davis reported that directions were given to teachers and administrators that the shut down of home schooling will be effective on May 8, at which point there will be no new assignments made and students will be given an A, B or P grade for the work they have submitted.
Students receiving a B or P grade can continue to work on their assignments to raise their grades. The next two weeks will be catch up period for any incomplete assignments. Students who receive an A, B or P grade will not go into a summer program, which will be determined by each individual school.
Federal funds amounting to $100,000 will be divided by schools to be used as determined for soft closure needs into June, summer or even fall. Diagnostic testing on the core standards will be done as the school year begins in August.
With regard to how education will look next fall, CDC recommendations for spacing six feet apart in classes may require alternating days or other alternatives. These things are still being considered as the time and the pandemic progresses. Strict protocol is being followed for the end-of-the-year programs with the principals, health department and superintendent working together.
Also during the meeting, a public comment period on the adjustments and amendments for the new fee schedule required by a bill passed in the recent state legislative session was entertained. Emery School District Business Administrator Jared Black gave a basic explanation.
Each fee charged needs to be on the schedule and it cannot be changed. Two public comment periods were required but because of the pandemic circumstances, the April school board meeting was cancelled and changes must be in place by June 6, 2020.
Black stated that there are four main areas; 1. Language suggested by the State Office of Education, 2. There will be no fees for elementary schools, 3. Middles schools will eliminate all curricular fees, 4. High school curricular fees will be eliminated and in the extracurricular there are two levels: Tier A programs with lower costs and Tier B with higher costs.
Black reported that he has met with coaches and advisors to discuss these new fee requirements. The fundraising requirements will be on next month’s agenda as they have also been changed by the new state law.
There were no public comments by those included in the virtual meeting.