District’s back-to-school plan depends on state

When school resumes on Aug. 25, the intent of Sheridan County School District 2 is for all students to be back in their regular classrooms.

The School District’s Superintendent Craig Dougherty said that is Tier I and the district’s preferred plan.

But responding to questions from a concerned parent at the meeting, Dougherty said there are three tiers, and the state of Wyoming will have final say on whether students will remain in the classrooms or go back to the virtual learning mode that ended the past school year.

Tier II in the district’s plan is a hybrid model that’s a combination of in-person and virtual learning, with school buildings open to some, but not all, students. If those measures aren’t adequate, local and state health officials could order school districts to go to Tier III, in which school buildings would be closed and all learning would again be virtual.

Sheridan Media will have more on Dougherty’s update on the district’s SMART Start plan in a future story, along with a fall activities update presented by Activities Director Don Julien.

Turning to other matters Monday, trustees approved an amendment increasing the district’s budget for 2019-2020 by slightly over $1.7 million.

Angie Hillier, with the district’s payroll/business services, said the amendment recognizes additional revenue to the district and adjusts expenditures to reflect actual expenses. She said the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unanticipated and abrupt decline in expenditures for instruction and instruction support.

Trustees also approved an operating agreement between School District 2 and the Sheridan Recreation District.