(Atlantic) The Atlantic School Board accepted three teacher resignations and approved five contract recommendations at Wednesday’s special board meeting.
The board approved the resignations of Susan Wedemeyer, High School Art Teacher, Jeff Ebling, Middle School Social Studies Teacher and Head Boys Basketball Coach, and Erin Ebling, Middle School English Language Arts, Teacher and Student Council Sponsor.
The School Board approved the contract recommendations for Vanessa Perkins, Middle School Summer School Teacher, Sarah Rose, Middle School Summer School Teacher, Minden Jones, Washington Secretary, Susannah O’Dette, Washington Paraeducator, and Bryce Smith, Alternative Education Teacher.
Atlantic School member Josh McLaren inquired about the teaching positions. Atlantic School Superintendent Steve Barber reported the following openings: two Middle School Language Teachers, Middle School Social Studies, High School Art, High School Language Arts, Middle School Special Education, Elementary Social Worker, and Elementary Schuler Special Education instructor.
The school board reviewed a handful of upcoming dates. The last day of school is May 28, the end of year reception/employee recognition is scheduled for June 3rd, and 8:00 a.m., the IASB Webinar Series is June 9th, at 6:00 p.m.
Schools Superintendent Steve Barber also recommended to the board classrooms return to pre-covid status at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. “It’s been a challenge. It’s been a lot of fluid with mitigation and different ways we dealt with the quarantine and close contact,” said Barber. “When the Iowa Department of Public Health came out and defined COVID-19 as a childhood illness, that is the standard we used. We’re getting back to normal. We have child illnesses already, and we wouldn’t do anything specific for those cases as well.
“So there are few other pieces to our mitigation strategy, but ultimately we’re getting back to normal; however, we’re going to maintain our disinfectant and hygiene procedures we have in place.”
The following are Mr. Barbers’ recommendations when classes begin this fall.
*No remote learning
*Visitors will be allowed in the buildings.
*No more travel restrictions.
*School trips and assemblies will be allowed.
*No more screening.
*Eliminates the isolation room.
*Classrooms will be back to normal, no social distancing, no masks, and the water fountains will be turned back on.
*Mitigation strategies for positive cases will remain the same. However, it’s the student and parents’ decision whether or not to quarantine their student who comes in close contact with a positive case.
*The district will continue cleaning mitigation strategies in the buildings and buses.
In other business:
*James Northwick, Schuler Elementary Principal and Curriculum Director, and Ed Den Beste, TLC Lead Teacher, presented the board with the district’s Instructional Framework plan.
*ACSD Technology Coordinator Roger Warne and Scott Bennett from NishNet presented a phone system upgrade plan.
The next School Board meeting is scheduled for June 9th at 6:00 p.m.
