N-O-W superintendent reports that start of school went well

By SARAH PARKER | County Line Editor

The school year had a promising start in the Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School District, Superintendent Travis Anderson reported to the board of education at its meeting Monday.

Both staff and students are “doing a wonderful job” and exhibiting a “positive vibe,” Anderson said. “I couldn’t ask anything more of our staff and our students so far.”

Anderson and other members of the administration made the following comments on the new year:

• Each seventh- through 12th-grade student now has her or her own laptop provided by the school. Students will be able to take them home if instruction shifts to virtual only at some point during the school year. Anderson noted that teachers are incorporating devices into in-person instruction as well.

• The USDA has extended its program for free lunch and breakfast for youth 18 and younger through Dec. 31. It remains unknown whether access to free meals will continue in 2021.

The district still needs families to fill out the applications for free- and reduced-price meals, as those figures factor in the district’s ability to obtain grants, Anderson said.

N-O-W’s food service program served 72,579 meals from the school closure in March through the summer.

• For staff, the district is offering a wellness program, which will include prizes and virtual yoga and mindfulness classes.

• This year, the school district has a theme: “Make It Awesome.” On the first day of school, the staff wore T-shirts with “Make It Awesome” on the front and “Falcon Strong” on the back.

“I see people living by that each day in our hallways and classrooms,” Anderson said.

• Last week, the district reported a confirmed Covid-19 staff case and a probable student case, both at the elementary school. Principal Angela Funk noted that no cases had been reported at the junior high or high school so far.

• Next week, the school will have a “spirit week”/dress-up days during what would have been its homecoming week.

• Thirty-five kindergarten through fifth-grade students and 32 sixth- through 12th-grade students are enrolled in virtual instruction, plus four in-person students are taking a virtual class in a subject that is not offered by the district.

• The district is offering “mini learning sessions” to staff that focus on virtual learning platforms and technology tools.

CARES funding

District bookkeeper Mary Prielipp presented a budget for the district’s Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. So far, the district has spent $66,680.72 of its $338,045 award, though many invoices remain outstanding.

The district has budgeted the following amounts, with the amount spent so far in parentheses:

• Laptops with carrying cases — $5,320 ($5,320)

• Computers — $20,169 ($20,169)

• Laptops (fifth through 12th grade) — $89,152 ($6,272)

• Computer supplies — $95,993 ($1,732)

• Cleaning supplies — $30,490 ($0)

• Supplies — $25,000 ($7,844)

• Face shields — $1,161 ($1,161)

• Falcon masks — $5,670 ($5,670)

• Falcon gaiters — $3,353 ($3,353)

• Water bottle fillers — $12,995 ($4,045)

• Internet hotspots — $2,299 ($2,299)

• Staff trainings — $6,443 ($6,443)

• Health assistant — $10,000 ($242.22)

• Additional salaries/benefits — $25,000 ($0)

• Additional summer nursing hours — $5,000 ($2,130)

Besides the CARES funding, the district has received $91,000 in Governor’s Education Emergency Relief money.

CLC

The board agreed to postpone any decision on continuing the Community Learning Center afterschool program, which has been suspended since last year.

At present, students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m. to allow for deep cleaning and for teachers to work with students who selected the virtual option. Essentially, for the CLC program to be reinstated, the Covid-19 pandemic would have to wane significantly and the district would have to resume full school days, Anderson said.

He added, though, that it was “a super valuable program” and the district shouldn’t “discard it because of financial implications.”

Other business

• Senior and junior high football is slated to begin March 8; and senior and junior high volleyball, Feb. 22. Schedules still are being created for both sports.

• Cross country is the only sport Brookwood is offering this fall. At present, the high school schedule consists of about eight meets; and the junior high schedule, about five meets.

• Brookwood still is planning to host the sectional team wrestling tournament this year.

• Food-service director Kristi Schlafer submitted an email to the board members, thanking them for allowing student meal delivery to continue after school closed in March.

“Knowing they were still being fed warmed our hearts,” she wrote.

Board member Cari Keith was among the many volunteers who delivered the meals throughout the spring and summer, Schlafer also noted.

For some families, “it was the highlight of their day,” she added. “School is truly some of these kids’ home away from home. And as one mom said, meals gave her a sense of warmth and normalcy, knowing that they could not be here with their friends learning and playing.”

• The board chose not to participate in a CARES Act program that would allow employees to defer payroll taxes for each pay period from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. Prielipp had consulted with an accountant at Hawkins Ash CPAs, which does the district’s audit, and had been advised not to take the option.

Prielipp noted that a deferral would generate a lot of work and complications, plus employees likely would prefer consistent paychecks, rather than larger paychecks through the rest of 2020, and then smaller paychecks from Jan. 1 to April 30, 2021, during the payback period.

Moreover, it could be difficult to collect the taxes from those who end their employment with the district before the payback period begins.

“What is somebody leaves? We could be stuck with that,” she said. 

• The N-O-W School District will sign up as a potential recipient for a FEMA grant that funds mostly building projects. Essentially, FEMA would provide 90 percent of the money for a “safe house” designed for shelter during inclement weather, and the school district could use it for its own purposes the rest of the time.

The FEMA program is funded at $550 million this year, though it may not exist next year, Anderson noted.

• The board approved five alternative open-enrollment students into the district and one out of the district.

Open enrollment allows students to attend school in a district other than the one in which the reside. The open-enrollment period ran from Feb. 3 to May 29, but alternative open enrollment allows students to apply at any time if certain criteria are met.

• This year, reading challenges will be set by individual classroom teachers, rather than be an all-school event, noted elementary principal Gayle Luebke.

• The board hired Arrow Seamless Gutters of Cashton to install gutters along the memorial garden for $3,175.64. During rainfall, water has been going under the doorway near the garden.

Comments are closed.

  • Strains of spring 

    March 22nd, 2024
    by

    Brookwood Junior/Senior High School hosted its spring concert Thursday.  Esther Wooten and Drew Powell provide percussion for the senior high […]


    Pretrial conference for Barton yields no updates, more charges possible

    March 22nd, 2024
    by

    Monday’s pretrial conference for former Wilton clerk/treasurer Leigha Barton, who was charged in January with counts related to embezzlement from the village, resulted in no new developments, according to Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger. 


    Royall hires new principal

    March 13th, 2024
    by

    Kole Huth will serve as the new Royall Middle School/High School Principal, the board of education decided at its meeting Monday. 


    Crowd attends meeting on Ontario development projects

    March 13th, 2024
    by

    No one quite expected the crowd of about 25 people to show up at Monday evening’s Ontario’s regular monthly board meeting. What drew so much interest was a hearing held about the new 12-unit apartment building under construction on Church Street.


    Kendall OK’s $2.1 million downtown project

    March 13th, 2024
    by

    Kendall approved a $2.1 million downtown (South Railroad Street) infrastructure project, which will occur in conjunction with the state’s reconstruction of Highway 71, at its regular meeting Monday. 


  • Norwalk police chief resigns

    March 13th, 2024
    by

    After nine years with the village, Police Chief David Jones submitted his resignation to the Norwalk Village Board, which it accepted at its Tuesday meeting. 


    N-O-W School Board approves expenditures, applications for college-credit program

    March 13th, 2024
    by

    The N-O-W School Board approved student applications to Brookwood’s fall college credit program totaling a little over $27,000 in tuition and materials.


    Wilton board candidates take part in reception

    March 8th, 2024
    by

    On Saturday, the Wilton Public Library hosted an open reception with the candidates for the Wilton Village Board.


    Royall boys earn first conference title in 11 years

    February 29th, 2024
    by

    The Royall boys basketball team clinched the Scenic Bluffs Conference title outright with a win over Bangor 53–37 on Feb. 22.


    Royall girls gain first regional title in 47 years

    February 29th, 2024
    by

    The Royall girls basketball team marked history in its program, as the team earned its first regional title since 1977.


    Wilton, N-O-W work out details of softball-field project

    February 29th, 2024
    by

    To refine an agreement allowing the Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School District to use Wilton’s new softball field, school representatives met with the Wilton Village Board on Tuesday. 


  • Archives