BY SYDNEY HOOVER
The Eudora School District received a lot of good feedback following its first day of online schooling Monday, Superintendent Steve Splichal said at a School Board meeting Monday night.
Splichal said although there are adjustments to be made, overall the first day was a success.
“To say that this is uncharted territory is a bit of an understatement,” Splichal said.
In addition to schooling, the first week of free breakfasts and lunches also went well given the quick turnaround to start the program. Splichal said the nutrition staff handed out around 2,000 breakfasts and around 2,000 lunches to Eudora children in its first week.
However, going forward, Splichal said the district will have to continue keeping a close watch on how the program is functioning as the coronavirus continues to spread. The Tonganoxie School District had to close its breakfast and lunch program due to a staff member contracting the virus, raising concerns for other districts providing meals to students.
The district will continue to deliver meals, but Splichal said conversations would continue on how to do so throughout this week.
“We’re going to have to think about what that means for us, and does that mean we’re going to have to suspend food delivery because of that interaction? I don’t know,” Splichal said.
The board also voted unanimously to pass a resolution that would allow both salaried and hourly employees to continue receiving normal payment while buildings are closed.
In other news, Splichal updated the board regarding other concerns within the district as facilities remain closed for the remainder of the school year and teaching moves online:
Families without adequate Wi-Fi access will be able to connect to district Wi-Fi at the West Resource Center, Eudora Elementary School and Eudora Middle School. Access points can be found on the Eudora Schools social media pages. Access points should be reachable without getting out of the car, but Splichal asked anyone who does choose to sit outside while using the Wi-Fi continue to practice social distancing recommendations.
Leftover medical supplies, such as masks and aprons, were donated to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, given the increasing demand for personal protective equipment in medical facilities.
Any payments made for programs running through April and May, as well as lunch accounts with $10 or more, will be refunded.
The district will apply for the Kansas Department of Education to waive the 2019-20 attendance requirement for the district in light of the pandemic as facilities remain closed throughout the remainder of the school year.
Board President Eric Votaw encouraged families to continue communicating further questions with teachers and other building staff as they normally would. Anyone looking to appear before the board can still do so in person if it maintains a 10-person limit or electronically through video call.
Reach reporter Sydney Hoover at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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