Start to school year sees hope, smiling faces

With two days under the district’s belt as of Saturday for the 2021-2022, Superintendent Jeff Koenig was upbeat about how things had went so far.

“The first two days went well,” Koenig shared via email of how things had been at Stanley-Boyd. “It was nice having the students back in the building.” Two days later the superintendent continued his observations with an update to the school board “One of the things we kept from last year is our smaller class sizes,” district superintendent Jeff Koenig told the board Monday night of lower grade levels in the district. Three days in at Stanley-Boyd, things were still going all right, with just 14 students or 1.35 percent out on quarantine.

“Quarantine,” it was revealed at the Monday night meeting, means that a student has been exposed to the coronavirus, while “isolation” would mean they had tested positive. With a three-level plan in place with level 1 triggered when 13 percent of students are out, the school district is taking the

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Shown in front of the south doors August 19 are (left to right): Alison Summerfield; Jaredyne Johnson; Ellie Steivang; Larissa Johnson; and June Junker. Photo by Joseph Back. SCHOOL STARTS

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covid challenge as it comes.

Mask mandates, on the other hand, are out (except for buses due to the federal rule), with a corresponding drop in their use, estimated Monday night to be “one percent or less” in upper-grade levels. Following a presentation by Koenig on “Safe Return to Learning” (viewable on the district webpage under 2.3 for the August 2021 board agenda), the board voted 4-3 to approve the plan, the motion passing. The three “no” votes to said plan came from Chad Verbeten, Lance Carlson, and Denise Hoffstatter, while Board President Bob Geist made motion to approve, seconded by member Ryan Lewallen.

As to the rest of the school picture so far, there was plenty to talk about—like possibly hiring an architect for the plans from CESA! Such a possibility would not commit the district beyond drawing up plans, it should be noted. Still, with $5,176,752.43 reported to be in the long term capital improvement fund—also called Fund 46, Verbeten shared that he felt it might be time to take the next step.

“Based on our position and as a board, we need to be prepared to make a decision next month, if not tonight,” Verbeten shared of his thoughts on going forward with drawings for the improvements recommended by CESA. “I could bring 100 architects here next month, and you don’t have to hire any of them,” Koenig told the board on drawing up more concrete plans for prior suggestions from CESA, which would charge a percentage fee for anything they did from here on out, it was revealed. Last but not least, there could be roof work coming, with the next installment to be the addition roof from 1999, consisting of the high school library, pool area, band room as the main parts.

“All that would be left after this is our original roof,” Koenig said of needed roof maintenance. The “original roof ” refers to the portion of the building built in 1960.

Sherri Hughes (foreground) watches students disembark August 19 as she waits for students to redirect to the bus to Boyd, which left shortly. Photo by Joseph Back.