STURGIS, S.D. – With school starting in one week, the Meade 46-1 School Board met in special session Monday night to decide which level they will start with in-the-classroom learning.
With the exception of the rural schools in central Meade County, the board voted to begin the school year under a Level 2, or orange phase, which is the second of three phases the board will operate under during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the orange phase, face masks will be required in the classroom when social distancing is not possible. On school buses, face masks will be mandatory at all times.
The board says the district will remain under the Phase 2 category at least until October 2nd.
Meade 46-1 Superintendent Don Kirkegaard said even though the number of active cases within the school population would indicate beginning the academic year in phase one, he recommends starting at phase two because of the growing cases of COVID-19 within Meade County.
The district’s plan is organized in three phases. The first, green, would strongly recommend masks in school buildings, but require them on buses; the second, orange, would require masks in school buildings when social distancing is not possible; and the third, red, would be virtual learning.
Under a green phase there is zero to low COVID-19 cases in the buildings. The school building would move to the orange phase if 1% to 3% of students and staff had active cases of the coronavirus, and would move to the red phase if active cases rose above 3%.
In addition to active COVID case numbers both in the building(s) and in the county, the district will consider other factors including numbers of students and staff needing to be quarantined,the number of COVID cases in a class or grade level and the ability to hold classes based on the number of teachers out of the building.
The percentageof COVID related school numbers are to be used in school buildings with 150 or more students.
The decision to move from phase to phase in a building with less than 150 students will be made based on the unique circumstances in the individual building.
If the district/school building is required to stay at Phase III (distance learning) for more than two consecutive weeks a special school board meeting will be held to reaffirm the decision.
The district’s rural schools in central Meade County will begin their year under a Phase 1 or green tier.
More information on the Meade 46-1 Back to School Plan can be found on the district’s website here:
