The following are the unapproved minutes from the Harney County School District No. 3 (HCSD No. 3) Board meeting, which was held Tuesday, Feb. 9. These minutes have been edited for clarity and length.

Burns High School (BHS) Principal Robert Medley said that, after many meetings, discussions, phone calls, and a lot of flexibility, the high school will be starting Trimester 3 in person, full time on March 1.

There are some key items to note:

• There will be a “common prep” first thing in the morning for staff, which will move the school start time to 8:45 a.m.

• Many seniors will be able to graduate early.

• The library will be open if students need to come into the building early.

• Staff are working on schedules with cohorting and safety protocols in mind for Trimester 3.

Hines Middle School (HMS) Principal Son Burns said, after staff meetings and surveying the staff, HMS’ plan is to go back in person, full time March 1 using the same Quarter 3 schedules. Students will remain in Quarter 3 until March 18 and start Quarter 4 after spring break. There could be some schedule changes to adhere to cohorting and safety protocols.

Slater Elementary Principal Steph Lardy said that, after many staff meetings, brainstorming, shared ideas, and staff and family surveys, Slater will be able to open up as well in person, full time starting March 1. A fourth kindergarten teacher will be added to help with cohort size. Staff and teachers have a solid plan and will be preparing Feb. 24-25, so students will be on comprehensive distance learning those days before everyone starts up in person on Monday, March 1.

Athletic Director Erin Toelle said she has tentative sports schedules for both BHS and HMS. There have been too many changes to release them publicly. She is still waiting for a final decision on football. Volleyball and cross county will start their seasons this month, and no spectators will be allowed for volleyball games.

Superintendent Steve Quick said the principals put together well-thought-out plans collaboratively with other staff members, and he thanked all of the staff who helped make this a reality.

He said safety has been the highest priority in deciding when and how to return in person, and staff flexibility and willingness to make this plan work are key components to successfully making this happen.

Quick added that continued support from the Harney County Health Department is solid.

He also noted that HMS and BHS staff will be working on Friday, Feb. 26 to prepare for in-person instruction.

Quick said the majority of district staff received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last week. He explained that these staff will be considered immune by March 1, which will help keep them working despite any COVID-related contact that they encounter either in or out of school.

Quick said the school nurse attended some initial training regarding testing students and staff should our county ever reach the extreme risk category. This will keep the district’s doors open to staff regardless of the county’s status with COVID cases.

Quick added that school sports have started, and football is able to start practice this week. The governor is scheduled to announce some potential positive changes regarding football and indoor sports tomorrow. As of today, regular contact football as we know it is not allowed. The hope is that this could change tomorrow.

“While our best laid plans are solid and we are confident they will work, we won’t know for sure until we have everyone back in March,” Quick said. “We are certainly hopeful that we can continue in this full-time status well into the future.”

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Monroe Principal Megan Hunter and Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) Superintendent Doug Smith presented a metal plaque, handmade by the boys at OYA, to recognize Nic Calvin from the Harney County Health Department. They thanked him for his hard work and help the last couple months.

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Quick also reported that:

• the school district applied for two different facility grants.

One was the Seismic Assessment TAP Grant for $25,000. Quick connected with an engineering firm in Bend as well as with Scott Marshall to complete the district’s facilities assessments and long-range plan. Once the assessment is completed, the district may be able to apply to other facility grants to mitigate issues that could arise as a result of the assessments.

The other was the Environmental Hazard Assessment grant. This grant will reimburse the district for costs related to the radon testing that was completed in December;

• Oregon Department of Education submitted the Statewide Assessment and Accountability Waiver Jan. 22 to the federal level.

More information should be available during next month’s board meeting;

• the district completed general obligation bonds related to Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) a few times in the past, and it has greatly benefited the district. Quick said he is hoping to have a complete analysis in the coming months to give the board the information needed to make an informed decision before taking action this summer;

• the state’s first revenue forecast is scheduled to be released Feb. 24 or 25. This will set the stage for the numbers that the district will use to budget this spring.

The budget calendar starts a month earlier in April, giving the district room for extra meetings if necessary;

• the Wellness Committee held its first district event two weeks ago, which was snowshoeing and cross country skiing at Idlewild. Another event is scheduled for the end of February, and it will be hiking and birding at the Wildlife Refuge;

• Wade Peasley and staff remodeled the downstairs bathrooms at HMS. They did a fantastic job, and pictures will be shared at the next meeting.

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During the public comment portion of the meeting, BHS Health Teacher Carrie Danchok addressed the board regarding opening back up full time. She said she is eager to have students back full time, and she doesn’t want to continue in the hybrid model if possible. She said bringing students back full time is the best and right thing to do.

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In other business:

• the board approved a $25 donation to Slater Elementary School from Matthew and Judith Littau;

• Board member Rob Frank made a motion to approve the Classified Employee Appreciation Week Resolution, and the motion passed unanimously;

• Frank made a motion to approve the budget calendar as presented, and the motion passed unanimously;

• Board Member Nanci Norris made a motion to approve Stephanie Lardy as Slater Interim Principal, and the motion passed unanimously.

The next meeting of the HCSD No. 3 Board will be held March 9 at 6 p.m. in the district office (Lincoln Building), which is located at 550 N. Court Ave. in Burns.