Student meals, labor negotiations, hiring, and construction are among the normal business aspects of running a school district that are proceeding in new and unusual ways in Hood River County School District among COVID-19 closures and restrictions.
The district board of directors heard updates from administrators April 8 during the board’s first-ever tele-meeting. Superintendent Sara Hahn-Huston and her staff, along with all seven board members, sat at home, linked via Google. Board Secretary Carol Wagar and three other staff were present at the District Office, seated safely apart while viewing the meeting on large screen in the board meeting room.
Remote reports also covered efforts to begin meeting state distance learning requirements, paired with getting physical homework packets home to all students, and addressing the needs of special needs and language learners.
In addition, at meal pickup sites starting Monday, April 13, the district is passing out school supply bags for learners in need, ordered and assembled by the curriculum and instruction employees with help from the Migrant and Community Education departments.
“It’s exciting to be part of this first experience with electronic meeting,” said Saundra Buchanan, financial director, who reported that district construction bond programs are on schedule, mostly. Work continues on the seismic upgrade at Mid Valley Elementary and technology wing expansion and remodel at Hood River Valley High School, though other planned bond-funded work at Hood River Middle School remains subject to permit review by the City of Hood River and will likely not proceed this summer as the district had hoped, according to Buchanan.
At Mid Valley and HRVHS, “construction is exempted (under shelter-in-place regulations) as long as employees follow social distancing measures. Our project managers have been working with contractors to make sure we’re all in compliance,” she said.
“It was a huge effort right before spring break (March 13) to get things moved so the crews could get started,” Buchanan said. “One upside (of the COVID-19 closure) is the contractors have a lot more free rein,” with fewer people in the buildings.
Buchanan also reported “success in getting meals to children during the closure,” giving credit to District Nutrition Director Heidi Benson and her staff. The district is handing out meals at all elementary schools and Hood River Valley High School Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9-11 a.m.; families pick up two meals daily and because they are staggered, “are essentially picking up two days’ worth of meals on all but Fridays,” Buchanan said. In addition, mobile sites are operating the same days at three sites in both Parkdale and Odell and one in Cascade Locks for those unable to come to the school; families may contact district food service.
“I want to praise and recognize all food service personnel who are working on this Herculean task of how they do business. They’re really worked hard at that,” Buchanan said. Prior to closure, the district daily averaged 2,035 lunches a day and 704 breakfast. Last week, the numbers were just over 900 breakfasts and lunches all three service days.
“I can definitely tell you it’s a need the students have, and we’re meeting it,” she said.
Board Chair Chrissy Reitz called it “a huge task and an immediate need and a need we cannot not serve.” She added, “A shout out to the community, during that week (prior to Spring Break), we had restaurants and community members offering to feed our kids. That doesn’t happen everywhere.”
Human Resources Director Catherine Dalbey said the district is “continuing the process, with numerous job postings to screen for and conduct interviews” to meet hiring needs for next school year.
Dalbey reported that she is meeting twice a week at the Hood River County Emergency Operations Center with other agency representatives.
“We’re working really hard to make sure we’re well-informed and that we’re supporting each other, and there’s just a lot of great collaboration throughout the county,” Dalbey said.
For the schools, her staff has created social distance guidelines for each facility, which include pre-designated visitation times and limiting access to 6-10 people, depending on sites. The district has marked areas for staff to go and not go, and posted rules for hand-washing before entering and upon exiting.
“We’re really trying to be careful,” Dalbey said. “We’re creating breaks between uses, a 30-minute period to give custodial staff time to sterilize a space before a new group comes in,” she said.
“Feedback is fairly positive. I think there are staff members who are used to having free access and people are getting used to that transition. I think everyone gives each other a lot of grace in the interest of our safety and public safety.”
Dalbey said she is working with licensed and classified employee groups on contract reviews based on changes in school operations due to Covid-19.
“Our union contracts are designed for kids to be within brick and mortar schools and that’s definitely not the reality right now,” Dalbey said, “so there are some working conditions and operating agreements we’re working to refine so everyone knows the expectations. Those talks are progressing, we have a good partnership with both leadership teams as we try to navigate these unchartered waters.”
Dalbey said the April 7 state-wide job fair was canceled, but she said the date of the fair is “an indicator that hiring is going to full swing. We’re in it, and working on looking at our budgets and retirements and resignations and building a plan for working toward we’re well staffed and ready to go for the 20-21 school year.”
Buchanan answered Board Member David Russo’s question about declining fuel prices. She said the district purchases fuel oil as-needed or through an annual contract that allows the charges to fluctuate with the market: “We’re seeing that benefit; we’ll definitely see some savings in the transportation budget in particular.”
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