Havre school board approves remote learning plan draft

The Havre School Board of Trustees met Thursday and approved the remote learning plan draft proposed for the school year till April 10.

The plan must be approved by the state Office of Public Instruction before it can take effect.

"The District is providing a Free and Appropriate Education for students with disabilities," the draft plan says. "The District is conducting IDEA and 504 meetings via electronic means and or meeting in person, but complying with Center for Diseases Control and Prevention Guidelines, State Guidelines and/or local health guidelines."

It also says the district will be providing education services in collaboration with parents and guardians, staff through available means which includes:

• Alternative learning sites

• Online learning

• Video chats/tutoring

• Phone conference calls

• Instructional packets (hard copy with materials and necessary supplies)

• Textbooks

• Supplementary aids and services

• Contact continuous attempts to all special education students

• Determination of service needs and delivery device, packet, telephonically email for Special Education, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech of individual students with parental input.

• Providing students with necessary items; ie. devices, instructional packets hard copy, necessary supplies, information for Spectrum Student Remote Learning.

• Ongoing communication with regular education teachers regarding accommodations, modifications of special education students of progress toward proficiency of individualized education program goals.

• Establish, implement, and continue data collection system for remote learning of students to determine goal progress and proficiency

• Establish and implement instruction schedules and office hours for questions from families.

• Establish/implement meeting systems and schedules for individualized education programs, education resource strategies, etc.

The plan also outlines a remote working plan for each school in the district - Highland Park Early Primary School, Lincoln-McKinley Primary School, Sunnyside Intermediate School, Havre Middle School and Havre High School.

"There are four parts at each school, the instructional piece then the meal piece, you'll notice a section for services for students with disabilities and then a section of other services customarily provided to students in school," Superintendent Andy Carlson said during the meeting. "This follows in direct accordance with directives from Gov. (Steve) Bullock and from the Office of Public Instruction."

The remote learning plan draft that will be sent in for approval today, he said, can be found on the school district's website under the coronavirus tab then onto a message from the district tab that will display a HPS remote learning plan draft form, directly at https://www.blueponyk12.com/cms/lib/MT01001096/Centricity/Domain/196/Remote%20Learning%20Plan%20DRAFT%203.26.2020.pdf .

Carlson said this plan enables the district to stay in line with what is being requested of them and so they can be in line for funding for next year.

"It's very important that this is approved and that way we can move forward in this manner," he added. 

He said the remote learning will begin before Monday, March 30.

Right now, classroom education is canceled through Friday, April 10 and tentatively scheduled to resume, and all K-12 events and activities have been canceled till Monday, April 13.

The 2020-2021 academic school calendar was also approved at the meeting.

Assistant Superintendent Craig Muller said in an interview before the meeting that memorandums of agreement between the Havre School District, Havre Educators Associations, Havre Paraprofessionals Educators Association and Teamsters are an outline what the workplace looks like in accordance with the CDC guidelines.

"(It also) outlines compensation and benefits during this closure and what that has looked like not only for the past two weeks, but moving forward," he said, "what leave looks like because leave during this time is an outline of any collective bartending agreement. What the expectation from the district is as far as performance of duties, the extra duty and extracurricular activities and making up instructional time."

The memorandums of agreement were action items that were approved at the meeting Thursday.

The next Havre School Board of Trustees meeting is set for Tuesday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Havre Middle School assembly room.