The Delaware City Schools Board of Education discussed the upcoming move to all-online learning and approved the purchase of furniture and buses at its meeting Monday night.
The board voted last week to move all learning to a virtual setting after seeing the increase in COVID-19 cases in Ohio and after hearing about a shortage of staff and substitutes. Starting Nov. 30, all instruction will take place online through the end of the calendar year. The board said it will continue to monitor the COVID-19 case numbers before deciding on what the learning model will look like when school starts back up following winter break.
Superintendent Heidi Kegley read a letter from the co-presidents of the Delaware City Teachers Association, one of the unions in the district, stating that teachers have been working on plans for the district’s move to all-remote learning next week.
“Since the board meeting last week, teachers have been busy preparing for remote learning,” the letter states. “We are committed to being the best teachers we can while providing online learning. We all want was is best for our students. The choice to move to all remote was a difficult choice, but with the numbers of teachers absent and lack of subs, teachers were unable to do their jobs effectively and maintain safety protocols while in the building. We are hopeful the pandemic numbers will decrease while we teach remotely so we can return to in-person teaching in January.”
Kegley praised the work of teachers in the district as instruction moves online.
“Teachers have been doing an exceptional job of preparing the students, practicing what that’s going to look like with them, sending home materials and supplies, and just the communication overall,” she said. “We will be taking attendance every day, and, of course, the teachers will continue to be available to work with out students.”
Also during the meeting, the board approved the purchase of a furniture package at a cost of $377,621.92 from Martin Public Seating for Dempsey Middle School, Carlisle Elementary School and Schultz Elementary School. Funds for the purchase came from the 2019 bond issue.
The board also approved the purchase of four 78-passenger conventional buses and one 48-passenger lift bus through the META bus bid for a total of $508,330. The funds for the purchase came from the permanent improvement fund along with $44,646.45 from the Ohio School Bus Purchase Program.
Additionally, the board approved the retirements of Hilarie Barry, an intervention specialist at Dempsey, and Judy Carpenter, a reading teacher at Woodward Elementary School. The board also accepted the resignation of Randi Borror, a swimming assistant at Hayes High School, and Chloe Fleshman, a School Aged Child Care Program assistant at Carlisle.
The board approved the employments of Nicole Singh, an intervention specialist at Schultz Elementary School; Chloe Fleshman, a program assistant at Carlisle; Sarah Nieman, an educational assistant at Conger Elementary School; Danielle Seery, an educational assistant at Conger; Byron Takas, a bus driver, and Jennifer Will, a cook/cashier at Dempsey.
