Armed with face masks, plastic face shields and barriers, Boulder Elementary School students and teachers will return to school this fall under an instructional plan that includes a four-day week with online learning on Fridays for grades 3-8.
The Boulder Elementary School Trustees settled on option 3 out of four presented Aug. 10 in the ongoing effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 as the new academic year begins on Sept. 2.
The school day will run from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.
Class sizes will be limited to 15 students or less, with teachers and students using a combination of face masks, plastic face shields and plastic barriers at each desk, along with frequent hand washing, according to Superintendent and Principal Maria Pace.
“We may be able to strike a balance,” said Pace.
As is common with COVID-19, however, the situation that existed Monday when the Trustees met changed two days later, when Gov. Steve Bullock mandated the use of face masks in all K-12 schools.
Pace said school officials had been prepared for a face mask requirement, and said those will be used in conjunction with the face shields and barriers. The foldable plastic barriers are designed to be used at individual desks, she said.
Bullock’s directive is for counties with four or more active cases and includes organized outdoor activities.
Pace said she would still recommend wearing face masks even if Jefferson County dipped below four active cases and she supports Bullock’s directive.
She pointed to Phillips County, highlighted during Bullock’s Aug. 12 press conference, where one prolonged sports and social event took the county from no active cases to 68 in one week.
The other three instructional options that were not adopted included remote learning for all students, with in-person for those on Individual Education Plans (IEP) and those identified as needing intensive intervention. Option 1, remote learning, received little, if any, discussion among the Trustees, as well as parents and teachers at the meeting.
Option 2 was the least popular, as it split the day into two sessions for K-2, and two on-site sessions — one online and one on-site for grades 3-8, with Friday devoted to online and small group learning.
Parents at the meeting expressed concern about the split sessions and the logistics of getting children in different grades to school while trying to work themselves.
The fourth option was basically a return to a normal schedule, but with class sizes of 15 or less.
The chosen plan, Option 3, also allows for teacher preparation and time for enrichment classes, such as music, art and health, on Fridays.
Pace said that classes could be kept at 15 or less and students would spend the day in their cohort groups. Option 3, with no students in the building on Fridays, would also allow custodians to clean and disinfect, said Pace.
For those who do not want to send their children back to school, the school is also developing a remote option, said Pace.
During the Aug. 10 meeting, Board Chairman Eric Rykal stressed that, “no matter what we decide as a board, this is liquid,” meaning the situation will likely change as the school year progresses.
One difficulty right now is finding paraprofessionals and substitutes, said Rykal.
The Trustees also adopted a special resolution declaring a state of emergency, similar to that approved earlier in the pandemic, that would allow the school the option to switch to remote learning or close the school without losing instructional hours. The resolution expires June 30, 2021.
The Trustees plan to address sports during a special meeting Thursday, Aug. 20 at 5:30 p.m.
Currently the school’s sports teams will only play those in the Elkhorn area, which includes Montana City, Clancy and East Helena.
New job for a new reality
The global pandemic has created a new job — at least at Boulder Elementary School. Rochelle Hesford was hired as the school’s COVID Tracker with her focus being on helping teachers navigate through COVID-19 guidelines and thus freeing them to concentrate on teaching.
Hesford is also the program coordinator for the 21st Century learning program.
The job is initially for the first three months — August, September and October — but can be extended if necessary, said School Superintendent and Principal Maria Pace.
This will allow the school to get a good system in place in dealing with “just the complexity and logistics of bringing this together,” said Pace, adding that the job could be thought of like a coaching contract.
The job will be funded through state and federal COVID-19 relief, said Pace.
In addition to the COVID Tracker, Boulder Elementary is teaming up with Jefferson High School to share a school nurse and custodian. Those positions will also assist with the extra duties that have resulted from COVID-19.
