Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By JAN TUCKER
Ewen — Friday is the deadline for school districts to submit to the state how they plan to educate students who will be without face-to-face education for the rest of the school year because of the COVID-19 virus. With that in mind, the school superintendents and principals within the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District are meeting early this week with GOISD officials to devise a plan.
The districts will then meet with teachers to continue to develop a plan for the rest of the school year. Ewen-Trout Creek Superintendent Dave Radovich said all of the school districts will follow a similar general plan, but there will be some action that will be specific for each school.
With the passage of the most recent stimulus bill by the Congress and signed by the President, the E-TC school board held a special meeting last week to recall the 13 employees it had laid off in the previous regular meeting. All the employees including bus drivers, cooks, janitors and others have been called back.
Radovich said while students will not return to the school this semester, all students who had satisfied the necessary requirements up to the date schools were called off will advance a grade. He added seniors will graduate and receive a diploma
Business Manager Tammy Gibson advised the board the backpack program has been expanded to feed families of the school district weekly, and numerous donations are being given to help fund the project.
“We are feeding families, not just students,” she said. A $500 grant was received from the Superior Health Foundation to help with the cost of the packs, as well as a $200 donation. One woman, for example, donated 14 bags of groceries to the program, she said.
Pat Kitzman addressed the board regarding PILT funds and requested board members answer his questions regarding support of local townships receiving PILT funds.
The board recognized GOISD Superintendent Alan Tulppo “for all of his work during this trying time for the districts.” The motion noted that Tulppo has “gone above and beyond to keep everyone informed, and updated with weekly meetings and information.”
The board also recognized the boys and girls basketball teams and coaches for their outstanding seasons despite the abrupt end.
Radovich said if there are children who need to retrieve something from the school or use the computer there, there cannot be more than three students at a time and they must keep the necessary distance, according to the rules set down by the Governor’s orders.