Anne Scarffe, Gilpin County. On September 1, 2020, the Gilpin County School Board met at 7 p.m. with more than 50 remote listeners. 

The Board approved the second reading of policy changes that will bring the policy manual in compliance with state regulations regarding discrimination, absences, bullying and work place safety. 

The Board discussed several surveys recently taken, one with parents and two with teachers about learning options in these times. The parent surveys received 270 responses and 59 not received. Thanks were given to all for participating in the survey. 

The following results of the survey of August 24, 2020, were related to the Board. 

Health safety was the biggest concern for all, and making sure the facilities are sanitized daily, requiring masks, social distancing and a daily symptom and temperature check. Hand sanitizer must be provided and class start times staggered to use the hallways less. If a student is sick, with any illness, they are encouraged to stay home.  

Parents were asked if they depend on the school for child care and supervision during the school day. Sixty-four percent of parents said, “no.” 

For the Hybrid Learning Program, 70 percent of parents indicated they would send their children to school one day a week and continue school remotely the other three school days.

Parent survey responses indicated that 64 percent of parents wanted their children back in the school building in the four-day- a-week In-person Learning Program. Twenty-nine percent of parents want the Remote Distance Learning Program to continue during the 2020/2021 school year. 

The third learning program, Gilpin Online, provides pre-made computer courses that students complete independently with teacher support and 7 percent of families are participating in this program this school year.  

Dr. MacKenzie advised the Board that the survey shows that about two-thirds of Gilpin County School District preschool through Grade 12 parents want their children back in the school building for in-person learning four days a week. He went on to say that the survey results indicated parents wanted concurrently to provide remote learning for the other third of the student body.

Several Board members pointed out that the County has very low numbers of COVID illness, and while in agreement with parents who are leery about students returning to the school building, suggested that a decision to set a goal with a date needed to be made. All on the Board agreed and asked Dr. MacKenzie to create a plan to offer in school learning as an option for students to begin on September 21. 

The remote distance learning program with Gilpin teachers will still be provided concurrently with the in-school learning option. 

Gilpin Online will be offered through the school year as a third learning option for parents and students. The Board was told the Gilpin Online semester will end in December, and individual students can change to other options if wanted. Dr. MacKenzie said, “We will provide a great education with trained teachers whether online, remote or hybrid.” 

Dr. MacKenzie wrote a restart plan that is available online: http://gilpin.k12.co.us/school_info20_21_back_to_school_info

 Making tough decisions and choosing dates to restart at the school building were some of the reasons that Board member Andy Rothenberger made the analogy of “Building an airplane as we are flying it”. 

The next meeting of the Gilpin County Schools Board of Education will be on September 15, 2020.

(Originally published in the September 10, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)