LRS schools receive USDA grant funding

RITZVILLE – Superintendent Don Vanderholm announced a $523,919 distance learning grant, from the US Department of Agriculture. The grant funding will bring telecommunications equipment and high-speed Internet to schools in the district, and expand College In the Classroom programs, share teacher resources, expand professional development, remote learning capabilities, and begin offering students and community members’ access to telemedicine opportunities. Proposed hub/end-user sites for this project will be the Lind Elementary School, Ritzville Grade School, Lind-Ritzville Middle School, and Lind-Ritzville High School. The Davenport school district is also a recipient in the grant with proposed locations in Davenport High School and Davenport Elementary/Junior High. Vanderholm explained the Lind-Ritzville Co-Op intends to use the funding to implement HyFlex classrooms throughout the district. HyFlex classrooms are equipped with audio capability, projection systems and video cameras to enhance remote learning. Classes can originate from the local classrooms, or remote classrooms from other schools, colleges or universities can be brought in using the telecommunications capability. “It’s going to take a couple of years to implement,” Vanderholm said.

Vanderholm reported on COVID vaccination rates among employees in the district. For the purpose of the report, staff are divided into two groups, in-classroom staff and in-building staff. In building include staff not directly involved in classroom instruction, including custodial, food service and transportation workers. For in-classroom staff 44 are fully vaccinated and 12 have received exemptions. For in-building staff 37 are fully vaccinated and 10 have received exemptions. One employee did not request an exemption and retired as of October 18.

In other business, the Lind school board appointed Greg Schmunk to fill the vacant position #4. Schmunk was not present to be sworn in. In the consent agenda, the boards approved hiring Walter Crow as high school wrestling coach and Zach Maier as middle school assistant basketball coach.

The boards approved ordering a 71 passenger Blue Bird school bus for September 2022 purchase. It was recommended to place the order early because of substantial lead times currently required for delivery of the bus.