It is not often that Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school board meetings exceed three hours in length, but that is what happened Wednesday night.
If you want to review the entire video of the meeting (it is mostly audio), prepare to spend three-and-a-half hours on the project. You can access the meeting video at this link.
The board was briefed on a switch from a four-phase plan to move from virtual to in-person classes to a three-phase plan. You can review the details at this link.
HSE Schools has revised the phases of moving from virtual to in-person learning. (Graphic provided by HSE Schools)
The hope is that HSE Schools will move from the current Phase 1 to Phase 2 after Labor Day. School officials say families will have at least two weeks’ notice before Phase 2 would be effective.
Phase 2 would call for a 50-50 schedule, meaning students would spend half of their time in the school building and half in virtual learning. The current idea would have a student spend three days in class one week and two days in class the other week.
Superintendent Allen Bourff said he must discuss the new plan with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) for the teachers’ perspective, which is a requirement under state law. That meeting was scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13.
The public is allowed to speak on an agenda item, and discussion of COVID-19 plans was on the Wednesday agenda. A total of 10 speakers voiced their view that in-person classes should start as soon as possible in HSE Schools.
HSEA President Janet Chandler also spoke before the board, saying teachers are working hard under difficult conditions but are doing the best they can under the circumstances.
Bourff
Although Dr. Bourff voiced hope that the school district could move to Phase 2 instruction after Labor Day, the community COVID-19 data will also impact that decision. As of Thursday afternoon, the Fishers Health Department Risk Rating was at a Level 2 (Moderate) but was moving in the direction of Level 3 (Significant). Bourff indicated the movement of the city health department’s measure needs to be moving in the other direction for Phase 2 to begin.
The board was also told that only immediate family, with few if any exceptions, would be allowed into school events, such as football games. IHSAA rules limit spectators up to 250 with a number of other rules.
The pressure on school board members began to boil over at Wednesday’s meeting. Board President Michelle Fullhart asked board members to take turns reading emails from the public on the COVID-19 issue.
When it was Amanda Shera’s turn, she said, “…I am very uncomfortable that we have hand-picked letters that opposed opening (schools)…”
Shera
Fullhart
Fullhart cut Ms. Shera off and said, “I’m going to stop you. Because everybody that emailed me as of Monday – I emailed every one of them and asked – do you want these comments read? So, I’m not going to put up with this talk right now because that is not true.”
“I’m not one of your second graders,” said Shera. “The parents that were here were limited to two minutes but your letters went on and on. I have about a six-sentence email…”
That received cheers from the audience at the meeting, which led to Fullhart warning the crowd not to do that and doing so would lead to removal from the meeting room.
Shera then voiced an objection to using the names of those writing the emails being read at the meeting, claiming it was a violation of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
Fullhart responded that each email writer consented to using their names, because comments read into the record of a school board meeting must have a name attached to it.
Bottom line: It is still uncertain when HSE Schools will move to Phase 2 under the new plan.
In a personnel matter, it was announced that Assistant Superintendent Jan Combs will be retiring at the end of calendar year 2020 and Matt Kegley has been promoted to Assistant Superintendent, replacing Dr. Combs once her retirement is effective at the end of 2020.
In another note from the board meeting, Fishers Health Department Director Monica Heltz told the board that the testing labs used by the city for COVID-19 testing are caught up and those awaiting test results should have them soon.