Clearview Board of Trustees and leadership met to discuss the beginning of the school year today. On the agenda was hand sanitizer, Clearview Star Award, AHS guidelines, the new home-learning program, student enrolment, operating budget and updates to the Clearview Re-entry Handbook.
Cindy Zimmerman was awarded the 2020 Clearview Star Award today at the meeting. The award was announced in March but with the emergency closure of schools, the Board was not permitted to present the award until now.
Associate Superintendent Peter Neal reported that there are currently 101 students enrolled in the At-Home Learning Program and 15 students enrolled in the home-schooling program.
“We are doing really well with our enrollment this year. Our communities have shown us a lot of faith and trust with their kids and it’s really good. I think it is something Clearview and our communities can be quite proud of.” - Peter Neale, Associate Superintendent, Business & Finance
Vice Superintendent Daram Van Oers reported that the new At-Home Learning teachers have been connecting with their students, working out technical issues, and that parents are reporting good communication with the schools and their new teachers. Out of the 101 At-Home Learning students, 40 of them from grades 7-12 are being served through the outreach programs. Van Oers reports that the At-Home Learning teachers and teachers in the schools are doing what they can to work together on curriculum so students wanting to attend school in the future can more easily re-enter.
Van Oers also reported that other school divisions are facing much higher at-home learning and home school rates.
“If there is one positive out of (COVID-19), I think it is that as a division, we are more flexible and much stronger.” Guy Neitz, Board Chair
Clearview Public Schools has received $830,000 dollars from the Alberta government to help support learning due to the increased costs of operating through COVID-19. Additional costs include school signage, additional software, extra PPE, disinfectant, three new full-time teachers, increased custodial services, additional bus driver duties, sanitizer and bottles, and other unexpected expenditures.
Costs for the 20-2021 school year are expected to exceed 1 million dollars.
Board members present at the meeting today; Board Chair Guy Neitz, Vice Chair Kim Smyth, Erica Grice, Greg Hayden, Becky Scott, Ken Checkel and John Schoefer.
Wendy Rairdan, Reporter
StettlerLocal.com
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