CCSD2 to finish school year at home

Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) entered the fourth week of its Adapted Learning Plan as the CCSD2 Board of Trustees held a special meeting on May 4 to determine how the schools in the district would finish out the school year.

As was previously reported (see “Putting a plan together” on page 3 of the April 1 Saratoga Sun), State Superintendent Jillian Balow had directed school districts throughout the state to submit their Adapted Learning Plan for approval to either complete part of the school through home instruction or to finish out the school year. 

“Back when we had school closures, all school districts including Carbon (County School District No.2) were required to come up with an Adapted Learning Plan that would be approved by the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE). So, we came up with our plan which we are currently implementing and it was approved by WDE,” said CCSD2 Superintendent Jim Copeland. “So, that is the function and it was actually approved through the remainder of the academic year.”

On April 28, Governor Mark Gordon issued a third continuation of statewide public health orders through May 15. With that continuation, however, were relaxations on some businesses such as hair salons, tattoo parlors, small gyms and childcare centers. All schools were directed by Balow to work with their respective county health officers to implement a plan for limited in-person operation.

“So, Mike Hammell, who is the superintendent of Carbon (County School District No.) 1 and myself have met twice now in a Zoom session with county health department officials including Dr. (Wayne) Couch, who is our county health officer. They have made it clear the things that would go into any kind of addendum to our adapted learning plan. We are, at present, developing a written addendum to our plan,” Copeland said.

According to Copeland, both school districts will be required to screen any students who would be entering the school for face-to-face instruction for preexisting or underlying health issues. Copeland stated that Couch had informed both superintendents that he would not approve anybody who had either respiratory or heart conditions.

“Anybody then coming into the building for face-to-face instruction has to be temperature screened and has to sign a(n) attestation statement that basically says that they have not had any symptoms of COVID-19 for the previous 14 days nor have they been in any contact with known COVID diagnosed individuals in the last 14 days,” said Copeland.

Additionally, any students and staff involved in the face-to-face instruction would be required to wear face masks. Copeland stated that those could be cloth masks. Social distancing and limited gathering numbers would also have to be observed.

The superintendent informed the CCSD2 Board of Trustees that he was hoping to have that plan finalized and sent to the Carbon County Health Officer on May 5. If approved by Couch, it would then be sent to the WDE for approval. 

Copeland informed the board that the plan was focused on three targeted groups that the administration team believed were in need of face-to-face instruction. The first targeted group are any seniors who are at risk of not graduating due to credit issues and may benefit from in-person aid. The second targeted group is freshman to senior students who are in danger of either losing or not earning a credit for the 2019/2020 school year. The third group would be students or small groups that the administration team felt could benefit from the face-to-face instruction.

“To be honest, it would be very small, very few individuals in that category. There are other situations for younger elementary students that would be hard even in the situations I described,” said Copeland.

Copeland recommended that the CCSD2 Board of Trustees extend the Adapted Learning Plan through the remainder of the school year. The superintendent added that he was unaware of any school district that was allowing students to return to school in any normal capacity due to the restrictions still in place from the State of Wyoming. In addition to the Adapted Learning Plan, school districts will also have to submit a plan to the WDE for summer school and reopening of schools in the fall.

“We have not gotten a template of what’s required in that yet and I really think, after asking questions of the county health department and also WDE, nobody really knows what the situation’s going to be later in the summer or in the fall and what kinds of restrictions, if any, might be in place,” Copeland.

Finally, the superintendent informed the board that he had instructed principals at Encampment K-12 School, Saratoga Middle High School, and Hanna, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow High School to submit written plans for graduation by Friday.

The CCSD2 Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend the district’s Adapted Learning Plan to the end of the 2019/2020 school year and allow Copeland and the administration team to work with Couch on amending the plan for limited instruction.

The next regular meeting of the Carbon County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees will be at 4 p.m. on May 18. The location, while originally scheduled for Elk Mountain Elementary School, may remain at the Central Office in Saratoga due to health orders from the State of Wyoming.