By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Principals and administrators reported to the Sitka School Board Wednesday night that the first week of school has gone smoothly.
“All the work we did this summer paid off, because our plan is pretty solid. We have a lot of flaws in the system, but they’re small flaws that we can work through, and find solutions to,” Baranof Elementary Principal Jill Lecrone told the board.
Sitka High School Principal Sondra Lundvick said her students and staff have demonstrated their adaptability.
“This week has gone really well. Students are adapting. Teachers are adapting,” Lundvick said.
Keet Gooshi Heen Principal Casey Demmert was glad to have students back in the building for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools in March.
“It’s so nice to have people back in the buildings, our staff and students,” Demmert said. “School buildings were empty too long, and it’s nice to have that buzz back in the building, though that buzz is quite different... All the hard work the staff has put into preparing for the kids to come have paid off.”
Board member Blossom Twitchell said she appreciated the work done at Keet.
“I just want to say thank you as a parent of two children at Keet Gooshi Heen. I commend the teachers,” Twitchell said.
Superintendent John Holst echoed the sentiments.
“I’m so proud of this administrative team,” Holst said, “This has been an interesting summer, they have worked very hard, and the staff has been back for more than a couple weeks. They’ve put in a lot of work, and now they’re reaping the rewards, the benefits of all that hard work. I could not be happier with how things are going so far.”
Earlier Wednesday the school district downgraded the risk of COVID-19 in the schools from “yellow” (moderate) to “green” (low).
“We’re now down to green,” Holst said. “I think we are down to four cases in the last 14 days, very encouraging. And if everybody in the community is careful, I think we can stay this way.”
The “green” level indicates a rolling 14-day figure of six or fewer positive COVID cases in the community.
Holst reported that so far this year enrollment is down, but not by much.
“Our enrollment is going to be down, but not like it’s down in places like Anchorage and some other places,” he said.
He said at the moment it’s hard to know how significant the enrollment drop will be, but it’s unlikely to be severe. Holst noted that in Anchorage the school year started with the district classified “red” for coronavirus risk and enrollment down by about a quarter. Learning in Anchorage is currently all online.
Board member Andrew Hames said he’s happy that the schools, which were closed before the end of the last school year, have come back into some sort of a routine.
“It’s been a really welcome, wonderful return to the routine,” he said. “It hasn’t been much of a routine since March... And I know that there is a level of anxiety involved in all of that.”
In addition to the discussion of the first week of school, the board recognized Pacific High students who received a U.S. Department of Agriculture award, as well as the Arts Culture Technology Peer Mentors. The board also recognized Grant Food Service Accountant Leslie Young for her work on the school district’s summer food program.
Board Member Paul Rioux said that, in total, this program gave 59,910 meals to students, 16,410 to students’ siblings, and 4,000 meals to other Sitkans between March 23 and June 30. Rioux noted that during the summer the Sitka Conservation Society, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and Youth Advocates of Sitka continued the program.
Young told the Sentinel today that the School District food program has already restarted, and should run through the end of the year.
For students attending school in-person, free breakfasts and lunches are already available, Young said. At the moment, students are already given breakfasts, eaten in school, as well as take-home lunches. The food assistance program, run with Department of Agriculture funds, will make the food free. In-person students will receive meals five days per week. Remote learners will receive enough food twice weekly, though Young said that it will be enough for five days. Dinners and weekend meals are not included.
Young added that the district plans to offer free breakfast and lunch to distance learners starting September 15. Only students enrolled in the Sitka School District will be eligible, but homeschool students enrolled in REACH will be included.
Anyone interested in the food program should email Leslie Young at lunch@sitkaschools.org.
The school board will meet again on October 7.
