By Anne Homan
On Monday, Dec. 14 the Lennox School Board of Education held their monthly meeting.
Superintendent Chad Conaway said the Minor Boundary Change the District completed with Tea had been approved from Lincoln County. There are two more parcels of land in Minnehaha County that the District will be looking to do a similar agreement with the Sioux Falls School District. More information will be shared at upcoming meetings.
Conaway also noted that the District’s building project is still about 3-4 weeks behind schedule but is coming along. Sheet rock is currently going up.
In the Intermediate and Elementary schools, Darin Eich said students were continuing their NWEA and MAP assessments. The reports they are getting back are positive and Eich was happy with the fall to winter progress.
The recording of the Junior Kindergarten through second grade Christmas concert has been postponed until after Christmas break. The students are set to record the program on Friday, Jan. 8. A link will be shared from the District once the performance is uploaded.
The Return to Learn and Return to Activities plans were discussed with amendments made to the quarantine period for students.
The District decided to shorten the quarantine period following the CDC move. The new verbiage states the quarantine period will be ten days from the last day of exposure to a person with COVID-19. Symptoms will have to be continued to be monitored through day 14. The quarantine period may be reduced to seven days from the last date of exposure to a person with COVID-19 if a negative molecular or rapid antigen test is collected on day 5 or later from the date of last exposure to a person with COVID-19. Symptoms will need to monitored through day 14.
Currently the District allows students who are considered a close contact and are asymptomatic to continue to come to school but a mask must be worn at all times and lunch isolated.
However, the new time table will benefit those students who are unable to follow masking requirements as documented in a 504 or IEP in order to help them get back in the classroom sooner. With parent approval, the school could administer the BinaxNOW rapid test for students who fit these requirements on day 8. If it is negative, they could return to school.
The District also added that close contacts will be allowed to participate in activities but Conaway said if they started seeing an issue from that, the District would reevaluate.
From the cases they have experienced, Conaway said they are not seeing internal transmission.
“Transmission doesn’t seem to be happening at school,” said Conaway. “Mask wearing, screening, and cleaning seems to be working.”
In other business the board approved the new work agreements for Joshua Fischer, maintenance worker; David Klock, custodian; and Chris Kruse, assistant Junior High Basketball coach.
The board also approved district recognition of the Lennox High School baseball Club.
The next regular meeting of the Lennox School District Board of Education is scheduled to be held Monday, Jan. 11.
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