In a special Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Board of Education meeting last week, January 26, the group okayed various plans tied to funds received from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. The district received around $775,000 in COVID relief money through this recent legislation. (See elsewhere on our website for the story on these funds).
First, the board revisited the paid COVID leave plan. This pertains to the district’s Emergency Paid Sick Leave Policy under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Under this, full-time employees are eligible for two weeks of leave capped at 80 hours paid at the employee’s full compensation rate. Part-time employees get 10 days at their regularly scheduled hours.
The leave policy requirements expired Dec. 31, 2020, meaning employers were no longer legally required to provide such leave but could decide to do so voluntarily. Though the CGD board had previously decided to terminate the policy, they now voted to extend it since ESSER funds can be used for it. Superintendent Joe Nelson added that there is a very small number of staff out currently compared to a few months ago.
In other business, the board approved the purchase of two suburbans and a pick-up. Nelson noted that the district was overdue to update their vehicle fleet after getting rid of several vehicles last summer. He added that the district needs vehicles they feel are safer. ESSER funds will be used for the suburban purchases.
The board okayed some other additions to vehicles. This included approving the installation of video cameras on 12 school buses and in four suburbans. Nelson said though there are relatively few problems on the district’s buses, this is a good step to help keep kids safe and add accountability for everyone. He noted the majority of Iowa districts have cameras in school vehicles.
Nelson also announced the installation of special software on district buses that will allow parents to track them using an app. He compared it to the same software that UBER uses. Nelson said this is another great safety measure the district is happy to take. It will allow parents to know when their children will be dropped off and when they make it to school, which is helpful in inclement weather and for planning purposes.
“This software will give parents and guardians peace of mind and will save school officials a lot of time they spend fielding questions about bus locations,” Nelson added. The plan is to have the software installed by late February.
