Anne Scarffe, Gilpin County. The Gilpin County School Board and the District Accountability Committee (DAC) met February 16, 2021, to discuss the rest of the school year’s happenings.  Chair Julie Hanssen of the DAC wanted the committee to review Covid-19’s effects on teaching and learning. 

Most of this year’s meetings have been about the Covid-19 responses and Hanssen brought up other committee’s concerns; the budget, school health and wellness, and programs that help gifted and talented students, and she wanted to discuss these in the next meeting, and suggested that one or two more meetings might be needed to cover these topics. 

Superintendent Dr. David MacKenzie said, “Give me a deadline, and it will get done” about providing necessary budget information to the committee. Moving the meetings to another night and different time to accommodate parents who might attend if later in the evening was discussed and a survey of parents was suggested as to a better day and time. 

Dr. MacKenzie, in both meetings, mentioned all staff that wanted the Covid vaccine received it on February 11, 2021, with the second dose planned for March 11. He is starting to plan for a “new normal,” hoping that after spring break, more students will return to in-person learning and feeling safer. 

Staff is looking at music, drama, and other extracurricular activities. MacKenzie said he is monitoring State and public health orders concerning standardized testing, and, at the current time testing will be done, however, parents can “opt-out” their children if they wish. Parents need to email the principal for further information.

Secondary Principal Alexis Donaldson, also in both meetings, has started dialog about graduation for this year’s senior class, and is taking suggestions for a safe ceremony outside, possibly, like last year’s. Details will be sent to Senior’s families. 

Virtual college visits to meet with seniors are planned. She said the basketball teams are doing well, and three students will be competing in the virtual science bowl on February 27. Virtual Parent /Teacher conferences are planned for March 11 and 12 with a link sent out to schedule with teachers.

Dr. MacKenzie said that deep cleaning is taking place regularly, with special attention to desktops, countertops and doorknobs. He discussed also giving raises to staff to be competitive with other nearby communities, with possible increases across the grid, still in discussion. 

He noted that the District has savings with electric and gas expenses, saying, ”A penny saved and not spent can be spent on something else.” More discussion is planned for salary and benefits increases.

Elementary Principal Heather Huntoon said they have 36 students in reading, and seven in math in Title I. She wants the elementary classes to do well, and all “on the same page”. She and Deputy Ramsey inspected each classroom’s emergency protocols. She talked about marketing the Montessori class, creating an advertising video and suggested the school do some marketing to bolster traditional school enrollment, with Tracy Krug agreeing. 

The next meeting of the Gilpin County Board of Education will be on March 2, 2021. The DAC is doing a survey on social media of parents for their next meeting date. 

(Originally published in the February 25, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)