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Community
Community
IRON RIVER — When the 2020-21 school year began last August, districts faced numerous uncertainties surrounding Covid-19 and the evolution of various restrictions to keep students and staff safe.
Well, the regular school year at West Iron County is now complete, having ended on June 4. But for the first time in its existence, the WIC School District will conduct a summer school to help students be properly prepared for their grade promotion come fall after a schoolyear interrupted by quarantines and by some student/family difficulties with virtual instruction.
The summer school program, which will last eight weeks, was set to begin on Monday and will run into August. As of June 2, school officials said that 90 Stambaugh Elementary School students signed up, while the WIC Middle School/High School had about 10 middle school signups and around six high school signups.
At the May 18 meeting of the West Iron School Board, Stambaugh El Principal Michelle Thomson said she had 12 staff members and two support staff ready for the summer school.
In addition to starting a new educational venture this summer, the district, like so many others across the state, is not clear on how the present Covid-19 guidelines will apply to summer school, i.e., mask wearing, social distancing, etc.
“I don’t think we’re going to know anything about a lot of this stuff, this learning plan, expectations of the school, until July,” Superintendent Chris Thomson said. “So we’re going to have to play it by ear for June and July.”
On May 14, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer updated the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Gatherings and Mask Order. The new guidelines stated that Michiganders who are outdoors will no longer need to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. While indoors, fully vaccinated Michiganders will no longer need to wear a mask, but residents who are not vaccinated, or have not completed their vaccinations, must continue to wear a mask or face covering to protect themselves and others. After July 1, the broad indoor mask mandate will expire.
Michelle Thomson said that summer school will be held outdoors as much as possible and that masks will not be required in those settings.
High school principal Mike Berutti said that high school classes need to be taken virtually. Berutti, in his athletic director role, added that the MHSAA is currently not requiring masks at outdoor practices and that summer camps and related events are scheduled to be held as planned.
Berutti added that the district still conducts antigen tests once per week.
But currently, things in the classrooms aren’t as simple.
“When it comes to schools, there just is not a lot of clarity right now,” Chris Thomson said.
In other news from the May 18 meeting:
• the board approved the WIC Educational Support Personnel contract for 2021-23.
• with incoming superintendent Kevin Schmutzler starting on July 1, the board wanted Chris Thomson, who is retiring, to be available to Schmutzler during the month of June. State regulations state that Thomson is not able to “be in district” for 30 days following his resignation. Thomson had planned to use vacation days during June and wanted to amend his contract indicating he would be reimbursed for any vacation days not used before his retirement. The board OK’d the letter of agreement with Thomson 5-0.
• the board approved the bid of $26,910 from Trafera, out of St. Paul, Minnesota, for the purchase of 70 Chromebooks for next year’s third-grade students.
• the board approves the Iron County Soccer Club’s use of Nelson Field for games during the month of June.
• the board approved the Iron County Trail Club’s proposal to make a single fat bike track trail beyond the school parking lot and alongside Garfield Avenue. The proposal said the Trail Club is working with the city and county and that it has the insurance coverage.
• the board agreed to allow non-governmental agencies to use the district’s busses for transportation with the stipulation that the agency in question will show proof of insurance and the district’s driver will not have governmental immunity while driving for the non-governmental agency. Thomson said that in the past, these agencies include band camp, Covenant Point on Fourth of July and activities at the Windsor Center.
• the board approved moving the graduation ceremony from Sunday afternoon to Friday evening beginning with the 2022 graduation class.
• the board approved a new three-year athletic director contract for Berutti, who will receive a 2.25 percent increase for 2022-24.
Trustee Ian Gill said it is “a well-deserved raise” as Berutti hasn’t had one in years.
Trustee Dennis Tousignant said that the new contract makes it clearer that “all of the programs here fall in his lap.” He added that Berutti is responsible for ascertaining why a program is failing if there is such a struggling program.