COVID-19 protocols at MSD
MEEKER I The Meeker School District is thrilled to have students back in our buildings. I am deeply grateful for how well our students, staff, and community have adapted to our new protocols. Despite the changes for the 2020-2021 school year, and the minor challenges of adjusting to those changes, there is nothing that can replicate the learning environment in our classrooms. The Meeker School District is committed to doing all we can to maintain that environment.
If we take the appropriate protective measures, we can continue to enjoy in-person learning, even if students or staff members test positive for COVID-19. We have worked closely with Rio Blanco County Public Health to develop algorithms which will help preserve this in-person learning. These algorithms can be found, along with our protocols, at www.meeker.k12.co.us. Only individuals who test positive or are determined to be a close contact will be asked to quarantine. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of an individual who has tested positive for more than 15 minutes, without a face mask. Thus, if we take proactive measures such as physical distancing and face masks, we can avoid large scale quarantines of students or staff from isolated positive COVID-19 cases. The Meeker School District has no intention of closing its schools for isolated cases, even if those are within the school community. That intention, of course, is based on the presumption that the members of the school community have taken precautionary measures as directed by the school district.
There are scenarios that could force our school district into a distance learning environment. While that is not our intention, we have developed new distance learning protocols that can also be found at www.meeker.k12.co.us. These protocols have been developed to greatly increase consistency in communications, expectations, and accountability, for both students and staff, relative to our distance learning processes from last spring.
One of the new conditions we are seeing this year is an increase in students choosing homeschool or online school options. The motivation for students and parents to make this choice spans the spectrum of COVID-19 related concerns. The Meeker School District respects a parent’s right to make this choice, but it is also important for our community to understand the impact on our schools. Some of these programs are built on sound educational principles and will offer an adequate education to the students who participate. Some are not. For those that are not, it is likely the school district will need to accommodate the needs of those students when they return to our schools. This is one of the reasons we have decided to offer an online option for students if they, or their parents, do not feel they can attend school for COVID-19 related reasons.
Additionally, because much of our funding is based on the number of students enrolled in the district on Oct. 1, the loss of enrollment will have a significant impact on our budget. For 2020-2021 our estimated per-pupil revenue is $8,312. Our enrollment is currently down by approximately 50 students which equates to a loss of approximately $415,600. Safeguards in Colorado’s school finance formula protect school districts from experiencing the full impact of revenue reductions in a single year due to declining student enrollment. However, if this trend holds through Oct. 1, our district will lose tens of thousands of dollars, at minimum. If this trend holds for subsequent years, we will feel the full financial impact within a few years. This amount is in addition to a funding reduction of approximately $340,000 we were already anticipating due to state-wide budget cuts.
Regardless of the unique challenges that await us during the 2020-2021 school year, I know our students, staff, and community will choose to offer each other grace, and choose to focus on the positive. We will be on this journey together, and I can think of no other community in which I would rather live during our current circumstance. I am both blessed and proud to be a Meeker Cowboy!
Special to the Herald Times
