The Sherrard School Board voted to update their “Return to Learn” Plan last Wednesday, Feb. 17. The plan is a document outlining conduct and mitigations the district is implementing to facilitate in-person learning. The district has had the option of five days in-person instruction or full remote learning since school started on Aug. 17, 2020.
Notable changes include facecovering guidelines, the document states, “Per CDC guidance, gaiters can be worn as face coverings when there are two layers of fabric.”
The district lies in both Mercer and Rock Island counties - and has to interact with both county health departments for pandemic guidance. Another change to the ‘Return to Learn’ plan addresses the number of days students must quarantine following symptoms or close contact with a COVID-19 positive person - it differs depending on which county the affected resides.
According to the document, “The IDPH (Illinois Department of Public Health) allows quarantined students and staff to return to school after 7 days or 10 days... Right now, the 7-day option is not available and the 10-day option is not available to students who live in Rock Island County... All staff members and the students who reside in Mercer County do have the ability to return from quarantine after 10 days if they meet the criteria for returning”.
Following the second and final COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the school for teachers, staff and volunteers last Friday, Feb. 19, the board adopted a section to the ‘Return to Learn’ plan outlining mitigation measures that must be followed by vaccinated individuals.
The document states, “All persons who have been partially or fully vaccinated must follow mitigation protocols including face coverings, social distancing and frequent hand-washing."
Also added, “Persons showing COVID symptoms who have received the vaccine in the prior three days (day of vaccine is day 1) do not have to be excluded from school if they have a fever that is less than 100.4, the symptoms occur within the first 48 hours and they feel well enough to go to work. Persons who have a fever of 100.4 or greater must be excluded from school.”
The full Return to Learn plan can be found on the district’s website, www.sherrard.us, under the ‘Parents and Students’ tab > ‘Return to School’.
The plan revisions were approved in a 4-1 vote. Sue Lyon gave the single dissenting vote.
The board also heard how refinancing their 2.6 million bond could save the district upwards of $86,000, according to David Pistorious, First Midstate Investment Bankers. Pistorious has helped the district in the past with bonds. The interest rate on the bond is currently at 4%, but can be refinanced in December. Current interest rates are between 1% and 2%.
In his annual State of the District report, Superintendent Alan Boucher summarized a lengthy number of achievements throughout the district since this time last year. Notably, for the second year in a row, Sherrard received a perfect score of 4.0 for its Financial Profile Rating given by the Illinois State Board of Education.
He also mentioned several academic, band and sports successes.
Regarding the pandemic he said, “We’ve had 69 positive student cases, we’ve had 20 positive staff cases. We know of one student who probably caught it at school…” he said through contact tracing one teacher believed they caught it at the school, “Other than that we don’t know of anybody,” said Boucher.
The federal CARES grant program awarded the district $190,800. The grant will fund most of the school’s PPE, new computers, bags, Google software and carts for all first and second graders, a mental health case worker, internet broadcast devices for the Coyne Center and New Windsor areas, professional development and software.
Boucher spoke of the charitable donations including $125,000 from Looser-Flake for technology, the Lowell N. Johnson Charitable Foundation gave $18,500 for for equipment and supplies at the K-6 buildings, the Sherrard Academic Foundation granted more than $5,154 in grants to teachers for classroom projects and supplies.
He also noted Twelve high school students were named Illinois State Scholars.
Boucher said the district is “strong” financially, “Our district’s operational spending is $10,173 per student.”
The Sherrard student to teacher ratio at the elementary level is 17:1 – (state’s ratio 18:1); the ratio at the high school level is 14:1 – (state’s ratio 19:1).
“The teacher shortage will worsen in the coming years. It could get very bad before it gets turned around. The issue is much bigger than our school district. We have to find ways to attract skilled educators. Having the tuition-free incentive for full-time staff members was an example of that,” he told the board.
Boucher closed the report noting the district could have chosen to do the easy thing... "but we chose, instead, to do the hard things that have “tried our souls.” As a result of our efforts, the students have learned and they have grown in many different ways. Sherrard School District is thriving. It is a beacon district. May we defend, improve and herald its excellence within our community and beyond.”
In other news, the board approved the resignations of bus driver Anita Sanchez, assistant basketball coach Vanessa Schulenberg, junior high track coach Dora Slothower and head baseball coach Brandon Oelmann.
The following new hires were approved with one board member, Rhys Fullerlove, abstaining from the vote, all others voted ‘yes’: Rachael Whelchel Junior High Math Teacher, Jennifer Pitford custodian Sherrard High School and Andy Denton Sherrard High School Math teacher; coaches - JH Assistant Volleyball-Breanna Welch, HS Assistant Boys Basketball-Rust Plunkett, HS Assistant Girls Basketball-Brian Coleman, HS Assistant Girls Track-Tim Jones, HS Boys Head Track-Joe Lopez, and HS Boys Head Baseball-Nick Basala.
