With board members Matt Helgemoe and Jeff Michel joining via Zoom, the Rushford-Peterson School Board met Monday, September 20, 2021. The board looked at current school COVID data and made a change to their definition of close contact at school and required quarantines. If students were wearing masks, they would not be considered a close contact nor would they need to quarantine. If the students were not wearing masks, they could either return to school and wear a mask after a close contact for the next five days and test negative, or wear a mask for the next 14 days. This is providing they are symptom-free. If a child wore no mask and had close contact to a positive case outside of the school, they would still need to be quarantined.
So far this year, R-P has had four positive cases of COVID. Two middle-school students have returned to school, a second grader will be back this week, and a senior will be out on quarantine for 10 days. Three of the cases had been quarantined because a parent had tested positive and had not been in school at all. The last case was sent home from school with symptoms at noon one day and close contacts had been notified. Superintendent Jon Thompson commended the good communication between parents and the school thus far.
School nurse Stephanie Evenson asked to rescind her resignation. After a brief discussion of how things were said in the heat of the moment, the board agreed to the rescinding and welcomed Evenson back. Matt Helgemoe commented, “ We are moving in a new direction, moving forward; we need to move beyond it.”
The board also discussed what sources they will use and how they will make decisions. Ken Sawle voiced his opinion that it was important for the board to speak as a group, and his desire for lines of communication to become more open.
Joyce Iverson felt that sources should be cited for direct quotes. Sawle agreed with Iverson and wanted statements to be backed up by valid and vetted sources.
Supt. Thompson suggested they use info available from Fillmore County Health. Matt Helgemoe asked if the board could be sent weekly email updates on county data. Thompson told the board he and nurse Evenson could compile county and school data and send it out to the board by mid-day Mondays. Board Chairman Chris Grindland asked for a link for parents to access the information as well.
Regular board business
In regular board business, the board approved the proposed levy for the 2021 payable in 2022 budget and set the levy at the maximum.
Various items were addressed for the upcoming special board election; the election will be held at Rushford City Hall for city residents and at City of Rushford Village Hall for other school district residents. Voters will see their choices to be Carl Schollmeier, Beverly Helleland, or a write-in. The election judges were appointed, the absentee ballot board was established, and the testing of the electronic voting system was approved.
Donations totaling $3,150 were accepted for a flagpole at the football field/track area from Rushford Foods, the American Legion, Rushford Lions, Murphy Johnson Post 94, and Rushford State Bank. Johnson Rolling Acres donated $1,620 for milk for the preschool.
In his report to the board, Superintendent Thompson informed them that the school had received a total of $1,079,147.52 from the government in COVID funding. ($1,552.73 per student). The board was appreciative of all the help that had been received.
In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignations of Jenny Helgemoe as assistant track and field coach and Lisa Lawston as Community Education program director; and approved Kari Blum as Nutrition Services director and Laura Van Gundy as School Age Child Care director.
The next R-P board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the forum room on October 18, 2021. Visitors are welcome.
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