(Atlantic) Atlantic schools Superintendent Steve Barber released the school district certified enrollment at Wednesday’s school board meeting.
Barber says 1,332 students are currently enrolled, a decline of 2.05 students. Barber says 19 students open enrolled into virtual schools due to COVID-19, so the open enrolled out students increased by 15 students compared to a year ago.
The district is currently serving 17.05 fewer resident students. On the other hand, the open enrollment number increased by 17.5 students increasing the net gain to 86.2 students.
Another factor in the enrollment number was 13 students who took advantage of the Home School Assistance program during COVID-19. These students are counted as a .4 instead of 1.0 FTE, which reduces their certified budget. Steve Barber is hopeful these students will return to the classroom when the pandemic is over.
Speaking of the pandemic, Mr. Barber reported the number of students wearing masks has declined to around 30-percent, while many of the staff are still seen wearing them. Barber says the standard for the PK-5 building were encouraged to wear masks when social distancing cannot occur. He says recently, both principals observed the number of students wearing masks was around 10-percent, while many staff members are wearing masks in hallways and when they are out of their bubbles.
Three weeks ago Governor Reynolds changed how to quarantine for those individuals who were deemed close contacts to a positive case. When both the positive case and the close contacts to a positive case were wearing masks, the close contact doesn’t have to quarantine. The idea is to keep non-infected students in school. Some schools are now requiring and even mandating masks following the state’s policy change.
School board members Nick Hunt and Laura McLean spoke in favor of a mask mandate. Board members Josh McLaren, Christy Pellett, and Jenny Williams didn’t appear to be in favor of one. The issue could be placed as a discussion item at a future board meeting.
