The Broadus School Board met last Monday for their monthly meeting, where they discussed the adoption of the school reopening plan and the 2020-21 school budget, as well as a variety of other items.
Members of the board present at the meeting included Rob Jones, Raquel Mader, Waylon Billing, Patrick Emmons, Shasta Madsen, Dan Johnson; Amanda Zimmer attended the meeting online. Around twenty members of the public also attended the meeting, which was held in the high school auditorium.
The board adopted the budget for the 2020-21 school year, with this year’s budget coming as a pleasant surprise for local taxpayers – an influx of money from the state resulted in the budget requirements for local taxpayers dropping around $21,780 in the high school, and $22,968 in the elementary.
The school reoponing plan was approved by the board, as detailed in last week’s Examiner. An online only learning option will take place this year, which would also cover students who may be sick. As of Monday, two students in the high school had signed up for the online only option.
Last week, Governor Bullock issued a mask mandate in schools, which applies in counties with four or more active COVID-19 cases. As of Tuesday, when this article was written, that mandate did not apply in Broadus.
The board hired Michelle Caramella as a half-time JH and HS math teacher, and also hired Amy Minow into a part-time tech position, where she will help teachers and students to navigate the online teaching world.
The board approved a motion to reduce the amount of medical coverage each bus driver needs to cover from $25,000 down to $5,000. This comes as a change in the school’s insurance policy covers more of the difference.
The board then opened a bid for the Hammond bus route, with Ty Robinson bidding for a five-year contract for $3.72 per mile. There was a great deal of discussion about the bid from the audience, with the board moving to turn the decision over to the transportation committee. That meeting took place this Tuesday, after our deadline.
The board also approved an emergency resolution and an update of board policies, all essentially dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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