Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes News MT. PLEASANT – The Mt. Pleasant Community School District announced in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday Afternoon, that the district’s middle school building will be moving to a hybrid learning model until November 30th.
This is due to a large number of staff absences – approximately 6 staff members had tested positive as of Wednesday evening– stretching the district’s substitute teacher staff to the limit. In an interview with the Maroon Echoes last week, District Superintendent John Henriksen discussed the possibility of the district moving to a hybrid model in any of their buildings. He stated that the district would have to look at county positivity rates, staff attendance, and student attendance. “We are committed to our families to stay face to face as long as our kids are healthy and we have enough staff,” Henriksen said. Since there is a large number of teachers absent, the reduction in students in the school building will allow the district to spread its resources effectively to ensure they can supervise students appropriately. The middle school also has the distinct’s highest absenteeism rate, sitting at 5.33%. With 6 positive students, 15 absent due to other illness, and 26 quarantined students (quarantined students are not counted in the absenteeism percentage). Many quarantined students have come in close contact at home, and have had to quarantine several times. The high school is second to the middle school in student absenteeism, with a 5.33% absenteeism rate. The high school has less than 5 students positive, 34 in quarantine (due to exposure at home), and 17 absent due to other illnesses. However, only the middle school is moving to the hybrid rotational model which will begin on Monday, November 16th. The middle school will have a full day of school on Thursday but will be closed on Friday to help staff and students prepare for the switch. On Monday, they will start rotating students every other day until they are out of school for Thanksgiving break on the 25th. According to the letter, parents and students will be getting their day “Color” assignments late Wednesday night. If students or parents have any questions they are encouraged to contact the middle school.
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Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes News Editor MT. PLEASANT – At Monday’s MPCSD school board meeting, representatives from the Mt. Pleasant Education Association spoke to the board about a survey of district teachers, many of whom are feeling the effects of the added workload of the district’s remote learning option and students in quarantine. According to a survey of district teachers, the MPEA found that many teachers spend a lot of extra time every week helping remote students. The survey found that high school and middle school teachers spend on average 8 hours per week of “after-hours” or after school time, to help remote students. The survey also found that area elementary school teachers spend on average 18 hours per week working on their remote learning programs. MPEA Vice President Lottie Schnicker, attributes a large number of hours spent to educators having to put their own lessons online on Canvas, the district’s electronic delivery system. The survey also found that 69% of teachers at the middle school and high school use some school hours and some after-school hours to complete their work with remote students, while 31% do it on their own time. They also found that many teachers are not paid extra for their time serving online learners. However, some buildings are better at giving teachers time during the school day to work than others. At the high school teachers are given an eighth period to work with remote learners. While, at the middle and elementary schools teachers get some time during in-service and professional development days, only if meetings aren’t scheduled during those times. MPEA President Molly Ingerson concluded their presentation emphasizing their empathy for the board, asking them to consider what teachers have to say about remote learning. “We know that we are building a ship as we sail it because of covid and online learning, but for the sake of our students and staff we can’t sink the boat,” Ingerson said. “All of us here tonight, we all share in the common goal to have our students succeed, and we also have to keep in mind the teachers that are steering the ship,” she added. District Superintendent John Henriksen stated that the district will be reviewing their remote learning program to determine if a switch to only serving medically fragile students is necessary. “There are no questions, it's been a challenge. We recognize that and we are looking at alternatives,” Henriksen said. The district is exploring the possibility of looking to curriculum vendors for help. Where outside vendors could possibly provide teachers and curriculum for the district. “It’s just not a sustainable model that we’re in. We need to look at alternatives,” Henriksen said. District Certified Enrollment Down 44 Students Later during the board meeting, Superintendent John Henriksen presented the district’s 2020 certified enrollment numbers. According to the numbers prepared by the district office, the district's actual or total enrollment is 1,858.4 students, which is down by 44 students from 1,902.77 students in 2019.
This leads to a marked decrease in funds available to the district from the state. The loss of 44 students cost the district around $484,000 in total funding, with per-student funding at about $11,000, for fiscal year 22. According to Henriksen, this downward slope is a trend for the school district, which according to AEA numbers is seeing a 16.2% decrease in certified enrollment over the last 5 years. Henriksen also stated that the numbers are showing about the same across the state, emphasizing that the district will have to, “Wait and see what the legislator does,” regarding funding for public school districts and student weighting. Districts around the area are seeing similar effects, with school districts like Burlington, Seymour, and Winfield-Mt. Union seeing declines in their 5-year averages above 10%. Liam HalawithMaroon Echoes News As Southeast Iowa’s coronavirus cases and positivity rate continue to skyrocket, Mt. Pleasant Community School District is keeping an eye on the numbers and continuing with full Face-To-Face instruction.
According to Superintendent John Henriksen, the district is continuing with Face-To-Face or in-person instruction until the district sees a rise in infected students or staff. “We are committed to our families to stay face to face as long as our kids are healthy and we have enough staff,” Henriksen said. According to the district’s return-to-learn plan, a move to a hybrid learning model would have to be triggered by the county positivity rate being between 15 and 20 percent and an absenteeism rate of over 10%. The absenteeism rate is determined only by students out due to illness and does not include those quarantined due to potential exposure to the virus. As of Monday, November 9th, Henry county sits at a 19.8% 14-day rolling average positivity rate, and 1,258 cases. The district is seeing high attendance rates, between 94% - 98%, at all buildings; meaning that students are not being affected drastically by the county’s community spread. However, the district is seeing an increased number of students being asked to quarantine due to family members contracting COVID-19. As of Friday, November 6th, the district has 33 high school students, 16 middle school students, and at least 32 elementary school students out due to quarantine. The district also faces an issue with staff absences. According to Henriksen, last week they saw 4 staff members absent at the middle school; however, the district was able to get substitutes to cover their absence. Mr. Henriksen explained that if there are lots of staff absences they would consider a hybrid model. This is due to the decrease of students in attendance every day allowing them to spread staff resources to make up the difference. The district has seen no cases of coronavirus transmitted inside school buildings. Many attribute the lack of transmission in schools to their mask mandate in all district buildings. “If the reason for that [no transmission in schools] is our mask mandate, it is a good reason to continue it,” Henriksen said. If the district were to transition into a hybrid learning model, grades Pre-K through fifth grade would attend in-person every day, but the district would space them out in the elementary buildings. This would require the district to utilize alternative spaces as classrooms including the library, cafeteria, gym, and other spaces. Sixth grade through 12th-grade students would attend every-other-day, alternating between in-person and virtual learning. The student body will be divided in half by the last name, into “Maroon” and “Gold” days. The plan calls for students in the same family to attend on the same day. Students with special needs, no internet, or other accommodations would attend school every day. These plans would allow the district to space out students to help prevent the spread of coronavirus in the classroom. Should the district decide going to hybrid is necessary, Mr. Henriksen said the district has a level of flexibility in implementing the learning model and would most likely opt to go hybrid in specific school buildings or grade levels rather than implementing a districtwide switch. “We would like to address where the issue is [rather] than go across the whole district,” Henriksen said. |
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