Want a say in how your child returns to Mitchell schools this year? The district is taking input

Jul. 13—Patrons who want a say in how the Mitchell School District approaches the 2021-22 school year in terms of pandemic safety protocols will get their chance soon.

Administrators with the district will be posting preliminary return-to-school protocols on the school district website and invite the public to review and send comments on returning to school as the pandemic appears to continue to wane.

"This is not for the board to vote on at this time. This is our first blush at this, and we're going to put it on the website and invite public input," Superintendent Joe Graves said during Monday night's regular Mitchell Board of Education meeting. "We'll use the same format as last year, but the information is quite different. There is no mask mandate and a few other things have been removed."

Graves expects the protocols to be up on the school website sometime this week. An email address will be provided for members of the public to send their questions or concerns. Board members are expected to hear the results of the poll at their August meeting.

The protocols can be found on pages 28-30 of the July 12 meeting, which can be viewed below.

Shawn Ruml, a member of the board, asked for clarification on the policy of allowing outside visitors or guests into school buildings, such as Junior Achievement volunteers or presenters at school assemblies.

Board Agenda by Erik Kaufman on Scribd

Graves said that the district will handle that by determining entrance on an individual basis rather than a blanket rule that may not apply properly to all patrons.

"For that process we will use a case-by-case basis," Graves said.

Matt Christiansen, another member of the board, asked if the district was still consulting with health care professionals in suggestions with COVID-19 still registering infections around the world. Graves confirmed that the district was doing so.

Some members of the audience at the meeting also brought up some concerns about the proposed protocols. Dwight Stadler said he felt the protocols going under review come across as overkill for the 2021-22 school year.

"These protocols come across as paranoid overreach in regard to COVID-19," Stadler said. "It's a well-known, published, objective fact that young people under the age of 18 are extremely low-risk, approximately 1% or less, for contracting and spreading COVID-19. Unfortunately the far-left democratic socialists and their mainstream media propaganda outlets continue to perpetuate their fear mongering for political gain and financial gain."

Sonja VanErdewyk, another member of the audience, said she also had some issues with portions of the back-to-school protocols. She said she did not necessarily support the six-foot social distancing rule, and also asked if the district could start recording or streaming its board meetings.

While the board did not specifically comment on protocol concerns during the meeting, Deb Olson, president of the Mitchell Board of Education, pointed out that the Mitchell Republic had begun livestreaming the board meetings.

The board is expected to get another look at the protocols, as well as the results of the public commentary, at its meeting in August.

New board

The Mitchell Board of Education also reorganized for the new year. Shawn Ruml and Brittni Flood were both sworn in as members of the board at the meeting, succeeding Neil Putnam and Lacey Musick on the panel.

Though Musick was not present for the meeting, Putnam was for the first half of the evening, and made the motion to adjourn before the board reconvened with its new members and to take care of the rest of the meeting agenda. He said it had been a long term of service on the board, but leaving was also bittersweet.

"I wanted to say this is a bittersweet moment for me because I didn't realize when I put my name on a ballot 21 years ago that I'd be here," Putnam said. "Reflecting back on my opportunity to serve the school board, I wish my successors the utmost luck, and I'm sure they'll do very well."

He thanked the members of the board, the administration and the district patrons for their support over the years.

"I thank you very much for the 21 years, and wish everyone the very best of luck," Putnam said.

After Ruml and Flood were sworn in, the board elected Olson as president of the board and Kevin Kenkel as vice-president.

VIDEO: Mitchell Board of Education meeting

Personnel

Also at the meeting, the board made the following personnel moves:

*

The new certified hires of Amber Hiles, middle school teacher, $42,500; Chaydon Metzger, 9th assistant volleyball coach, $1,557 and Gracie Kattner, special education at Mitchell Middle School, $44,750. All positions are effective the 2021-22 school year.

*

The new classified hire of Mary Pranger, paraeducator at L.B. Williams Elementary, $15.53, effective Aug. 18

*

The resignations of Carl Terveen, MCL English at Mitchell Middle School, effective June 30; Carolyn Sivik, librarian assistant at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary, effective July 9; Andie Star, attendance secretary at Mitchell High School, effective Aug. 2021 and Bret Werpy, PAC director, effective July 31.

*

The Mitchell Technical College new hires of Dan Sieler, precision ag instructor, $60,500, effective Aug. 1; Nicole Grosz, powerline construction and maintenance instructor, $63,000, effective Aug. 1 and Nick Bakhtiari, director of foundation relations, $63,180, effective July 26.

Other business

Also at the July 12 meeting, the board is expected to:

*

Approved of the Earned Interest Allocation Resolution.

*

Approved of a resolution to designate all official depositories.

*

Approved a bid for construction materials for the 2021-22 Mitchell Technical College ADBC houses. The board approved two bids from Builders FirstSource of Mitchell in the amount of $50,966.11 for Site House #108 and $38,729.18 for Site House 2.

*

Heard the superintendent report.

*

Heard public commentary.

The next meeting of the Mitchell Board of Education is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 9.