RAPID CITY, S.D. – A sure sign COVID-19 continues to concern school administrators, the Rapid City Area School Board last night postponed making a final decision on its full back to school plan.
Board member Jim Hansen made a motion that the board should strike overall approval of the current plan and change to voting on each item in the plan individually, particularly the mandatory mask plan.
However, other board members suggested voting on just the mask mandates and hosting discussion on the other items. Still, others wanted to keep discussions open about the mask policy.
But, by the time the deadline for voting had arrived, the board had not come to a decision and a vote was pushed back to Monday, August 10.
Also at last night’s meeting, Superintendent Lori Simon gave a presentation on possible distance learning plans if kids can’t be in school and for parents who have elected to have their children learn from home.
Simon discussed purchasing web-cameras, virtual vendors and keeping some teachers dedicated to distance learning only.
She says switching to a distance learning only plan will cost the district millions of dollars which included $1.3 million for cameras and up to $6-million dollars for virtual vendors.
The board had already decided at its July 27 meeting that September 8th would be the proposed date for students to go back to school for in-the-classroom learning.
