Haxtun BOE approves finalized back-to-school plan

Haxtun students return to the classroom this week and in preparation the Board of Education formally adopted the fall plan to return to in-person learning to meet all State mandates and recommendations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board voted on the plan during a meeting on Tuesday evening, Aug. 18. Students return to the classroom on Wednesday, Aug. 26 following two days of assessments.

“Our top priority is for students to continue to obtain a quality education and maintain the social-emotional health they desire and deserve,” the plan states in the opening section. “The District has been and will continue to work to ensure we can reopen with in-person learning in a way that is safe for students, staff and the Haxtun community, and complies with all State and local mandates laws.”

Haxtun Schools will offer in-person learning as well as a remote learning options for students who wish to do so. By attending in-person learning, staff, students and families must agree to follow all school safety protocols in accordance with health and hygiene practices.

According to administration, more than 10 students had opted for remote learning as of the meeting date, which means they will learn at home online but will still be Haxtun School students. Several additional families have chosen an alternative online school system.

“Our plan aligns with other districts in our region, and much of the State of Colorado, and was created with input from the State of Colorado, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Education, Northeast Colorado Health Department, Phillips County Commissioners, Northeast BOCES and the requirements of law, including Executive and Public Health Orders,” the plan states.

According to the plan, all staff, students and parents are expected to closely monitor themselves and children for symptoms and overall health daily. Specifically, if anyone has a temperature of 100.4 or higher, or have COVID-19 symptoms including fever, sore throat, cough, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, upper respiratory infections, he or she must remain home.

All staff members and students in grades six through 12 must wear masks, according to Colorado Governor Polis’s State mandate. Students who ride a bus, no matter their age, must also wear a mask while in transport. No in-town bus routes will be offered at this time.

It is also expected that all students and staff maintain a six-foot distance to the extent possible.

As for recess, playgrounds and gyms the following is set in place at Haxtun Schools in accordance to the return to school plan: no more than 60 students on the playground at the same time; recess will be broken into smaller groups by cohorts; physical education will be held outside as much as possible, when weather doesn’t allow for PE to be outside no more than 50 students will be in the gym at the same time; maintain six-foot of distance (minimum of three feet) between students and staff, as well as between students and students, to the extent possible.

A return-to-school plan had been presented to board members earlier this month, however, the matter was tabled and the school start date was pushed back one week. Between the first meeting in August and the most recent, board members hosted a special meeting in which members and administration met with the District’s attorney regarding the plan in executive session. Following that closed-door meeting, board members held a work session to work through the document.

The Aug. 18 meeting opened with reports from administration followed by action on the return-to-school plan. Superintendent Darcy Garretson went through the plan, with detail, for the Board and allowed for questions and additional concerns. Following a short discussion, the plan was approved with a yes vote from each board member including Tamara Durbin, Audree Edwards, Steve Hadeen, Abby Henry, Amy Kilgour, Rich Starkebaum and Jay Wisdom.

Following the back-to-school plan issue, board members also acted on a change in graduation requirements as previously discussed at a prior meeting. Changes include the amount of math and science credits required for graduating seniors that better aligns with recent changes to curriculum with in the agriculture department and STEM classes. The new requirements were approved and will implemented for this year’s senior class.

In other business board members:

• Approved the following substitute list: certified subs: Jeri Anderson, Amy Bamford, Stephanie Cheney, Marv Conyers, Candie Fix, Dave Gibson, Mike Hernandez, Brad Heinz, Natalie Krogmeier, Steven Lissner, Gay McDaniel, Rhonda Mehring-Smith, Gary Rich, Cathy Starkebaum, Carmen Vandenbark, Megan Wagoner, Barb Wernsman, Susan Wolff and Rod Workman; classified staff: Vernette Baldwin, Patricia Corbin, Christine Fetzer, Maria Fryrear, Bev Lock, Brittany McCallum and Lorrine Townsend;

• Approved a final reading for policies regarding workplace health and safety protection; as well as revisions to the following as recommended by the State: tobacco free schools, open hiring/equal employment opportunity, professional staff recruiting/hiring, support staff recruiting/hiring, grading assessment program, equal educational opportunities, admission and denial of admission, intra-district choice/open enrollment, violent and aggressive behavior, bullying prevention and education, school related student publications, student distribution of non-curricular materials and relations with District charter schools.