As end of year nears, Shen. Valley super provides update on district
SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah Valley School District Superintendent Brian Waite said the district is “cautiously optimistic” as the end of the school’s third quarter nears.
At Wednesday night’s school board meeting, Waite provided an update on the school’s handling of the year and the coronavirus pandemic, while also providing an outlook and some advice for the remainder of the year for both students and families.
He commended students for their adherence to coronavirus precautionary protocols while at school, and emphasized the need for students to attend daily and stay up-to-date on assignments.
“We still strongly encourage families to complete daily symptom checks,” Waite said. “If a student is not feeling well, please stay home and communicate with the school your need to stay home.”
“The Shenandoah Valley School District with the cooperation of families has provided a safe face to face environment for students to learn. The protocols in place have greatly minimized the impact of COVID 19 on our students and staff. This is largely due to the daily efforts of our staff and students,” Waite added. ” With that said we are also cautiously optimistic in the current positivity rates within Schuylkill County and are beginning to determine when we bring back the senior class for face to face instruction to finish their year.”
Waite said that, as the year’s end approaches, the school is evaluating students’ successes via accurate work completion, classroom participation, and assessments, and added that summer school is being planned for students who aren’t finding success.
He added that students who are using the school’s virtual learning option and struggling are strongly encouraged to return to face-to-face instruction.
“The virtual option may not be the better option for your child at
this time,” Waite said, regarding struggling virtual students. “As a District, we want parents to feel safe while their child is learning. With established protocols the District has in place, along with the continued drop in positivity rates in Schuylkill County, the District will require students that are not attending their virtual learning sessions to return to school.”
In other business, the school district approved the hiring of special counsel to represent it in its legal battle with Shenandoah borough.
The district, per the advice of solicitor Bob Matta, approved the hiring of Elliott, Greenleaf, and Dean, of Wilkes-Barre, to represent it in the court case seeking owed Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) from the borough in relation to the Shenandoah High Rise and Shenandoah Family Development properties.
The law firm is the same firm the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Shenandoah hired in its own case against the borough.
In other business, the district:
- Approved maternity leave for an employee,
- Approved the 2021-2022 school calendar,
- Approved the revised student equipment form,
- Approved the 2021-2022 STC Secondary Budget,
- Approved IntegraONE for wireless network bid $116,202.26,
- Approved drama club volunteers,
- Approved football coaching staff to attend virtual football clinic,
- Approved 2021 Coaching Appointments,
- Retroactively approved a Leave of Absence without pay for an employee from Feb. 21 until further notice.
- Approved a leave of absence without pay for an employee from March 1 to March 14.
- Retroactively approved the resignation of Eva Bialecki, substitute cafeteria, effective Jan. 29,
- Retroactively approved the verbal resignation of Johnathan Grady, third shift custodian, retroactive to Feb. 23, approved posting and advertising,
- Retroactively approved a revision of emergency school bus stops.
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