(Atlantic) On Wednesday, the Atlantic School Board voted 4-1 to extend the mask mandate until April 5th. The mandate ends after April 5th. The policy will go back to the original language, which states masks are encouraged for the K-5 students and expected for students in grades 6th through 12th, where social distancing cannot be obtained.
Atlantic Schools Superintendent Steve Barber says the mask mandate and the CDC guidelines have allowed a significant drop in the number of students who have needed to quarantine. All of the buildings have some ability to social distance, except for Washington.
On October 22, the school board approved a 30-day temporary mask mandate requiring face coverings when impossible to social distance. The school board extended the temporary mandate on November 18, December 9, December 16, January 13,
In other business, following a public hearing, the Board approved the West high school parking lot project’s plans and specifications. It approved Precision Concrete Services Incorporated low bid of $620,084.32. Dave Sturm of Snyder and Associates, engineers for the project, received six bids, and all bids fell under the estimated cost of the project, which includes replacing the existing parking lot with seven-inch concrete and the addition of 17-to-20 parking stalls without adding extra concrete, and the widening of the front entryway into the high school. The plan involves adding about three-and-half feet by the sidewalk on the south side. The purpose of this is to alleviate buses having to hop the curve. The project is expected to start following the last day of school, with completion on August 15.
The Board of Education also approved the recommended changes to the school calendar. The district is faced with making up five missed school days and one late starts due to the inclement winter weather. Originally, May 26 was the last day of school. To meet the state-required 1080 hours, classes will now be session all day on May 19, May 26, and added May 27 and May 28 to the school attendance calendar, with an early dismissal on May 28th.
