Alba-Golden superintendent outlines fall school options

Posted 7/16/20

Alba-Golden Superintendent Cole McClendon described the three schooling options available for students this upcoming school year at Monday’s school board meeting.

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Alba-Golden superintendent outlines fall school options

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Alba-Golden Superintendent Cole McClendon described the three schooling options available for students this upcoming school year at Monday’s school board meeting.

With the caveat that the state-designated rules can, and have, changed frequently, McClendon detailed the three options. They are traditional in-person attendance, remote learning via live classroom instruction and remote learning by asynchronous instruction. 

Each student and/or parent will be required to select the method of learning for each of their classes. The selections will be valid for the duration of the immediate nine-week grading period. 

Traditional school this fall will feature now well-known virus mitigation measures. These include physical separation (as best as possible), crowd control techniques and masks for fourth-graders and above. Of note, the school will not assign lockers. Students will use backpacks as book storage lockers. 

Remote live classroom learning differs from remote asynchronous learning in that live classroom learning involves scheduled participation by the student in classes via a live computer feed. Asynchronous learning involves students completing courses of instruction completely on their own schedule, while being checked on wperiodically by teachers.

McClendon stressed that the remote learning options available are determined by each individual teacher. As the subject experts, he explained, they are best suited to make remote learning determinations. 

The superintendent also noted that remote learners are eligible to participate in all school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

In action before the board, a unanimous vote approved the hiring of an additional preschool teacher and preschool teacher’s assistant, to accommodate the surging number of youngsters. Forty-one preschoolers are expected to commence their schooling this fall. 

The change this year to an all-day preschool requirement has added considerable stress to the logistics of accommodating this number of four-year olds. Alba-Golden school allows their teachers to place their children in preschool at no cost. The majority of preschoolers attend cost-free due to their economic eligibility, while those who are not eligible will pay $250 per child per month for preschool.

Elementary school principal Kevin Wright described some creative workspace reassignments which will create a third preschool classroom. 

In other action, the board awarded Duko Oil of Emory the contract for fuel supply. Duko submitted the lowest of three bids. 

The board approved activation of the third year of the workers’ compensation insurance contract with Claims Administrative Services of Tyler. 

Finally, business manager Brenda Kelley provided an encouraging outlook of the school’s budget projections. “I see no problem making a balanced budget,” she reported, “we are in really good shape.”