BVSD in uncharted territory due to COVID-19

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By Amber Hayden

BOYCEVILLE — With Governor Tony Evers shutting down public schools for the foreseeable future, the Boyceville School District has found itself in uncharted territory with COVID-19 still a threat to people.

“We had decided to not come back on Monday with the students coming off of spring break,” said superintendent Nick Kaiser. “That way the school was still clean, and we knew students would have traveled in or out of state.”

The board of education met briefly on Saturday, March 14, to discuss the continued closure of both the middle/high school and the elementary school.

The food staff, with help from the bus drivers, began food deliveries to students on Thursday, March 19, and according to Kaiser 147 families had signed up for the program.

The Boyceville school staff will continue to meet remotely via emails or phone calls, and students and families would see enrichment and academic packets coming by Monday, Kaiser said.

“The biggest change is that the governor has extended the closure for the duration of the health emergency,” Kaiser explained. “And we have more questions than answers.”

Another challenge for students will be the equity of access as the further away from Boyceville you travel, the poorer the wi-fi and data connections become.

Kaiser reported that 20-25 percent of students had either poor access or no internet at all.

He also stated that as of the meeting, spring sports were only postponed and the WIAA had not issued a statement cancelling the season.

The Wednesday board meeting was attended by only four board members and Kaiser to keep within the guidelines of social distancing.

In other business the Board of Education:

• Approved hiring Marilyn Heifner as a curriculum consultant.

• Accepted the retirement of third grade teacher Debra Bell.

• Approved Jordan Nelson for the 2020 Technical Excellence Higher Education scholarship.

• Approved one student for the fall 2020 Start College Now semester.

• Approved the 2020-21 CESA shared services contract.

• Accepted a $2,438.61 grant from the Merlyn and Shirley Anne Jones (MASA) fund.

• Accepted a $400.00 grant from the Rotary Club of Menomonie to be used for publication and purchase of books titled “Planting Seeds of Gratitude and Kindness.”