Spring Cove School District Continuing Education Despite Closure

The Spring Cove School District School Board held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, April 20, by video conference.

Although the schools in the district remain physically closed through the end of the school year, education within the district continues. Spring Cove is beginning its fourth week of its Continuity of Education School Plan. Superintendent Dr. Betsy Baker said during her report, 99.5 percent of the district students are engaged in online learning. The district continues to distribute Chromebooks to families who request them, bringing the total number of loaned devices to 311.

Dr. Baker announced that Tom Ritchey recently was awarded a $9,689 CTE Equipment Grant for his Agricultural Production Program this year. This money was used to purchase a drill press, T-circular cold saw and a pressure washer for use in his program.

The school district’s food service staff is serving meals to the children in the community on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. They are currently serving an average of 3,665 meals per week.

Revisions to the Spring Cove School District 2019-20 school calendar were passed unanimously by the board.

Athletics changes

The board approved the hiring of bocce coaches – to be paid through Special Olympics funding – junior high co-cheerleading coaches, and decided that ticket prices for athletic events for the 2020-21 school year would reflect no increase in price. Payment of school bus and van contractors during the period of school closure would be covered.

Spring coaches will be paid for their spring sports regardless of cancellation of their season.

Athletes’ parents requesting a rebate for their pay-to-play fee for spring sports will be refunded their money if a formal request is completed and the athlete did not take part in a fall or winter sport.

A motion to appoint a district dentist, doctor and certified registered nurse practitioner for the 2020-21 school year was passed unanimously.

The board debated whether to have a work session in a Committee of the Whole meeting in May along with a formal voting School Board meeting. It was finally decided to have a combined meeting at 7 p.m, on Monday, May 18, by video conference. This will be a crucial meeting because it involves the budget for the upcoming year.