TORRINGTON - Due to recent winter storms, students and staff in Goshen County School District No. 1 – with the exception of graduating seniors – will be required to return to class the week following Memorial Day, Interim Superintendent Rick Patterson announced at a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday.
Originally, all students would have been released Wednesday, May 22 – but the effects of a bomb cyclone in March required the use of snow flex days on May 23 and 24, in addition to another day on Tuesday, May 28, following Memorial Day Monday.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Patterson said the district was trying to avoid adding more days on to the end of the year and hoped to use late starts and early releases to manage this week’s storm, however, GCSD announced schools would be closed Wednesday, April 10, in anticipation of several inches of snowfall and high winds, further extending the final day of school before summer break.
The original plan had called for closures Thursday also, but that plan was switched to a late, 10 a.m. start instead Thursday morning.
“We’ll keep the kids safe, bottom line,” Patterson said Tuesday evening.
The Department of Education requires each district hold school a specific number of days, with the potential of a reduction in funding if this requirement is not met.
In other business:
n Charlene Meier, retiring teacher at LaGrange Elementary, presented on the merits of Educational Software for Guiding Instruction, touting its time-saving online assessments, data collection reports, and ongoing parent communication. Meier called the software “profoundly motivational” for students.
n The Lingle-Fort Laramie High School window replacement project received no bids for the second time. Business Manager Marcy Cates reported the district will meet with architects to determine options to increase the chance for bids in the future.
n A mock-crisis drill at LFL schools is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8. A planning meeting will be held next week to discuss details.
n Torrington High School has requested to add a Dean of Students position for the 2019-2020 school year to help address the school’s longtime attendance issue. The board made no decision on the matter this week.
n The next regular board meeting is Tuesday, May 14 at 7 p.m. at the Central Administration Building and will include salary and benefit recommendations, as well as a preliminary budget.
n District graduations will be held Sunday, May 19 at the following times: L-FL High School, 1 p.m.; Southeast High School, 3 p.m.; Torrington High School, 5 p.m.
n For more information on agenda items, visit goshen1.org and click on the “Board of Trustees” tab.
