LUSK – In response to Gov. Mark Gordon＊s recommendation that Wyoming school districts close for minimum of three weeks, the Niobrara County School Board decided Monday to send students and staff home until at least April 6. Despite the CDC＊s recommendation to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people, members of the public and other public officials attended a special meetin Monday to offer opinions and support to the district. Following the approval of the agenda Superintendent Mirich reviewed the district＊s special and emergency meeting policies, which were provided to the board members in their packets. 

He specifically pointed out that should the board take action during such a meeting it would only be considered temporary. State law requires they would need to follow it up within 48 hours and not more than 30 days after the emergency meeting to take permanent additional action. 

He also reminded those gathered that meetings of the board are public meetings but not public forums and should someone wish to speak at a meeting they can contact the central office to request to be put on the agenda. 

Visitors

Niobrara County Emergency Manager James Santistevan was present to offer his support to the district in whatever way they should need from his office.

Dr. Joleen Falkenburg, Medical Director for Niobrara Community Hospital and the Rawhide Rural Health Clinic was asked to speak at the meeting offering her clinical expertise on the COVID-19 pandemic status and an appropriate response for the district. Falkenburg spoke to the low number of confirmed cases in Wyoming. She offered as example that neighboring Converse county has ordered 100 tests and does not yet have any confirmed cases. She then commented it was her opinion that surrounding states and counties were hasty and a bit premature in their decision to close schools and government offices at this stage of the pandemic. However, Lusk will be forced to take action because of surrounding area closures.

Falkenburg pointed out if the Niobrara district chose not to close schools, they could become the blamed vector for any further disease expansion, even if it didn＊t actually come from the district. 

It was therefore her professional recommendation the school close for a period of time. Falkenburg also stated she has been actively testing for COVID-19 and while there seems to be the presence of a different virus causing upper respiratory infections at this time, there has not yet been a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Hospital COO Kody Nelson spoke in support of Falkenburg’s stance and stated the Niobrara Community Hospital and Rawhide clinic has made the decision to keep only essential patient-care staff in the building. All support staff are either working remotely or not working at all. Nelson said this is in an attempt to both protect the extended care facility residents and keep clinical services open for as long as possible for Niobrara county. 

Action Item

Superintendent Mirich told attendees only two districts remained open for physical classroom attendance. He also emphasized that closures for Niobrara were not a matter of if but rather a matter of when. 

Based on the information available on COVID-19, the schools will have to close at some point. The district has a response plan in place for when a confirmed case hit Niobrara county, however the question now was if they enacted that process earlier than planned. 

Mirth said, on Friday, the Wyoming Department of Health was not yet recommending closures of public offices and schools begin. Sunday evening, however, the Governor and Superintendent of Public instruction had decided, based on political pressures, to issue a recommendation to close schools. This put a great deal of pressure on all districts to take action sooner than most had anticipated, Mirich said.

He also said, because Niobrara County does not yet have any confirmed cases, the only way for the virus to get here was either from a visitor or someone leaving town and bringing it back. A closed system would keep everyone safe, but since that is impossible then, while the district would plan for 2-3 weeks, staff and parents need to be prepared for the school to be closed through the end of the academic year. Based on information on disease progress from the CDC, Mirich believes three weeks won’t be the end for the closure and restrictions.

Staff are prepared to go digital when needed. Food service will have food available for pick up for whoever needs a meal. Mirich couldn’t say how long the district could operate this way, but they are going to try for as long as possible.

Other than central office and custodial, there will be no staff or students in the buildings once school is shut down.

Multiple board members expressed  concerns about waiting until a case was confirmed. Concerns were largely based on the fact that incubation can be up to four days before someone becomes symptomatic and test results can take anywhere from two to seven days to come back. 

The board members also discussed the technology requirements for moving from in-class interaction to all digital or online. They also asked about the technology survey done in preparation for a transition to digital learning modules. 

Principal Lu Kaspers responded, noting 90 parents had answered the questions on the survey and at that time, only three students in the middle school did not have regular access to internet and those three could use a cell phone hot spot.

Elementary students will, in addition to having written packets made up to take home, also have at least weekly or biweekly phone calls with their teachers. 

After being asked about staffing levels and hourly staff, Mirich told the board funds are budgeted to pay everyone through the end of the year. He did, however, also state that should the federal government require compensatory time past the end of the school year, the district could have a hard time finding the funds to further pay any of the staff. He does not feel the state is going to require much from the districts, but it is difficult to say what the federal government is going to do. He is determined to continue paying staff at this time.

Santistevan asked Mirich what capacity the district had to reopen and then close again. Both Richardson and Mirich don’t feel this is likely. 

When asked about the grading system or how students would be held accountable, Mirch said: “Providing opportunities to learn and grow is the most important thing. I don’t care about grading but providing the opportunity is the most important thing. If they do it great, if they don’t for lack of parental support then we will address that next year. I’m not interested in holding people over a barrel and making them help their student succeed and I will work with admin to make sure people understand “

The board also discussed concerns about students congregating at the county library, which would defeat the purpose of closing the schools. Commissioner Patrick Wade stated this would be taken into consideration at the special county-wide meeting at 2 p.m. on March 17.

Mirich firmly emphasized this is not a hiatus from school for students, but rather a transition of the learning environment and the district was prepared to close right away.

The board issued the directive to close the district. It will be closed until April 3 to potentially resume on April 6.