By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – The district’s school board voted 5-0 Wednesday, April 8, to request a waiver of the hour requirement for instruction in 2019-20 from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Superintendent Kurt Weyers said the district is required under state law to hold a public hearing, which can be virtual or teleconferenced, to receive the waiver.
He said the hearing may be held in conjunction with a regular school board meeting to discuss and request a waiver from the DPI.
The Ashwaubenon School District began online learning March 30 after spring break with all district schools ordered closed through at least April 24 because of the pandemic.
Board attendance
In addition to the remote learning in the district, the April 8 board meeting was the second in a row where some school staff and one board member participated without be physically present.
The board voted 5-0 to approve a temporarily change in the district’s policy for board member meeting attendance until September to allow for more than two consecutive remote appearances during that time.
Had the change not been made, the board’s treasurer, Michelle Garrigan, who appeared remotely for the second meeting in a row, would have been required to appear in person for the next meeting May 13.
The district is now encouraging social distancing with the board members physically present spaced out farther than before precautions were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and total attendance at meetings limited to 10 people.
Jennifer Bower, secretary to the superintendent and the board, said the policy limiting remote attendance to two consecutive board meetings was put in place based on it being the board members’ responsibility to be physically present and concerns they would stop coming and just participate remotely.
“It was going to be limited to just two for the entire year, but it was two in a row, just in case someone was sick…,” Bower said. “When we had two board meetings a month, you could miss basically a month and then you were back. It was (a policy put in place) more just to keep people coming (to the meetings).”
Keith Lucius, district business director, said the policy was adopted because of concerns about board members leaving the area for months at a time, such as those who travel south for the winter.
“Part of the job representing the community (is) you have to be in the community and be available,” he said. “That was the big discussion I remember.”
Board members agreed to revisit the policy in September when they hope the pandemic will be over and could once again limit remote participation to two consecutive meetings.