Mt. View gets first look at reopening plan

In his first official meeting in the role of Mountain View superintendent, Dr. Michael Elia provided board members with a brief overview of the district’s reopening plan.

The state has mandated that each district must create a health and safety plan to serve as the local guideline for all school reopening activities. The plan must be approved by the school board.  

Elia explained at the Monday, June 22 meeting, the proposed Mountain View plan has four components: Cleaning and Sanitizing; Social Distancing; Monitoring of Students and Staff for COVID-19 related symptoms; and Other Considerations.

Elia said students would be encouraged to use the filling stations and carry personal water bottles. Use of water fountains would be discouraged.

Teachers will be supplied with wipes and sanitizers for use in the classroom, and, when possible, windows can be opened to help with ventilation.

Buses will be wiped down before and after each run, and a meeting will be held with the transportation contractors to go over best practices and to determine what additional needs they have.

He said all of the cleaners and disinfectants used in the district exceed the guidelines, and the board noted that no alcohol-based cleaners are used in the district.

Citing the difficulty in taking every student’s temperature prior to entering the buildings, designated staff members will check on students as they enter the school buildings. If someone shows signs of sickness, the school nurse will do an assessment.

Teachers will be asked to rearrange classrooms based on social distancing guidelines. In classes with over 20 students, teachers will be asked to maximize available space by removing extra furniture to better allow for social distancing. The district is also looking at using alternative spaces in the school when necessary.

High school students will be asked to wear face masks in the hallways, where social distancing is difficult. A staggered bell system is also being considered.

Elementary students will be eating lunch in their classrooms and teachers of specific special classes may go to each classroom for instruction.

Elia said the district will be flexible with attendance guidelines for the coming year, and be as reasonable and accommodating as possible.

The 46-page document will be posted on the district website after it is approved by the board.

The board adopted a $22 million budget for the 2020-21 school year, setting the real estate tax rate at 43.7054 mills. There will be a $5per capita tax under Act

511, $5 per capita tax under Section 679 of the Public School Code, Occupational Assessment Tax at 100 mills, 0.5% Earned Income Tax under Act 511 and 1% Real Estate Transfer Tax.

The discount amount is 2% and ends on September 30, 2020. Face period begins on October 31, 2020 and ends on December 31, 2020. There will be no penalty period for the 2020-2021 taxes. The last day to pay tax collector is December 31. Installment payments are due by August 31, September 30, and October 31, respectively.

Board President Jason Richmond said the board’s goal was, in consideration of COVID-19 impacts, to make sure the community was not impacted any more than necessary.

The board approved the 2020 Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion in the amount of $524,483.33. There are 2,353 eligible Homesteads and Farmsteads in the district.