Committee to look at school opening

By TOM LAVENTURE

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Hurley — The next eight weeks will reveal how the Hurley K-12 School will open for the fall semester, according to reports at the Hurley Board of Education meeting on Monday.

The recommendation will include expertise from education and health professionals on a 10-member committee that will start meeting next week, Thursday, said Kevin Genisot, school district administrator. The committee will include six education staff, three registered nurses, the county health officer and a physician’s assistant. 

“We’re doing everything we can to get kids safely back in this building and we’re going to work our best to do that,” Genisot said. “We are looking at how to open up, who will make the decision and what factors go into it.”

As of now, it is highly unlikely school will start the fall semester in a virtual learning setting, he said. The questions at this time are if all the students will attend daily or with an A-B schedule with students attending every other day in two groups to ensure distancing. 

“We know that the isolation, and the depression and the anxiety has gone up for many kids and we’re going to have to weigh that decision versus the risk of COVID-19 as we create our plan for starting school in September,” Genisot said.

The repeated warnings that COVID-19 would peak in the area hasn’t happened as of yet, he said. The committee will look at the local situation at the start of the school year and throughout the school year.

“We have to take a serious look at what’s happening to the parents and what’s happening to the students in the community,” he said. “There is a possibility that we could start the school year with the entire school population in this building.”

The school board agreed with Genisot’s suggestion to have a special meeting the first week of August to present an informed decision that will have the best chance for success and allow four weeks to prepare.

The school board 5-0 approved Elementary School Principal and Athletic Director Steve Lombardo’s request to open physical fitness facilities on July 1. The order of the state Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association to close all facilities to academic or extracurricular activity in March due to the coronavirus pandemic is set to expire June 30. Unless there is a new guideline keeping the facilities closed for an extended period, he said there is an opportunity to allow current Hurley students, 2020 graduates, and coaches the opportunity to use them through July 22, at which time any proposed changes would be presented to the school board.

Lombardo said there will only be individual workouts, as competition and scrimmages are prohibited at this time. No more than 10 individuals would be allowed to gather at one time indoors for these workouts, and 15 individuals at an outdoor location.

The facilities to open include the high school and elementary school gymnasiums, weight room, baseball field, two softball fields, track and practice field, and the tennis courts located on campus and adjacent to Memorial Field.

Areas including dugouts and locker rooms are still closed. There would be extensive cleaning of rooms and equipment each day.

Students will be required to bring their own marked water bottles as the hydration stations are prohibited.

Any person displaying positive COVID-19 symptoms would not be allowed to engage in activities, Lombardo said.

The school board 5-0 approved a 3% across the board pay increase for all 79 employees of the school district. The decision was based on the consumer price index increase of 1.81%, said Leslie Kolesar, school board president.

“It’s been a long time that the employees have had any type of raise that has been above the consumer price index,” Kolesar said. “We thought that was fair considering everything, and all the changes that they’ve had to make during the COVID-19 and the dedication they’ve shown.”

The school board acted 4-0 to discontinue the rollover of the school district’s contract extension with Schilleman Bus Service. The action was to not automatically maintain a five year commitment in order to allow for competitive bids, Genisot said.

Board member Kathy Saari abstained from the vote.

In other business, the school board approved:

—The first reading of a proposed increase of long term substitute teacher pay from $110 to $140 per day with stipulations.

—Directing Melissa Oja, middle and high school principal, to assist any group of 2020 graduates who might want to hold an event related to graduation.

—Changing the K-12 school secretary from an hourly wage to a contract/salaried position.