The following are the unapproved minutes from the Harney County School District No. 3 (HCSD No. 3) Board meeting, which was held Tuesday, Nov. 10. These minutes have been edited for clarity and length.

Superintendent Steve Quick reported that the school bond failed to pass.

“I would like to discuss with the board the next steps they would like to take the district in terms of facilities,” Quick said. “We have eRate funds, and buildings like Hines could use some serious upgrades with technology. We’ve held off on a few projects as a result of the bond, so I need a direction. Does the board want to return to voters anytime soon for a bond or give it a year or two before continuing down that path?”

“We need to do something,” board chair Randy Fulton said, adding that the district has needed new schools for many years.

He noted that a one-campus plan failed in the past. He also said that the timing for this year’s bond was not great because it was on the ballot during a national election.

Board member Rob Frank said he was surprised by how many people want all new buildings. He added that he believes the community lacks faith in the district, and the district needs a new strategic plan and to work on retention issues and test scores.

Board Vice Chair Dan Winn said new buildings are a lofty goal, but feasible with a multi-year grant. He added that the district needs to campaign for a long time. For now, he said the district should prioritize and patch up buildings.

Board Member Nanci Norris said taxes will increase with all new facilities, and there are a lot of fixed-income families in the district. She suggested communicating costs and comparing what people want with what the district can afford.

•••

Quick said he was excited to announce that the district hired two new employees — Melanie McCall, district school nurse, and Kelly Siler, district attendance advocate.

Quick added that he’s not sure how long it’s been since the district had a school nurse.

He said both employees jumped in and are already making a strong impact.

•••

Quick also reported that the community had a spike in COVID-19 cases, which influenced our schools.

“We just had too many cases that were affecting staff and students, requiring quarantining,” Quick said. “Because it was a substantial disruption, I chose to shift our schools to the Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) model. This two-week reset has been a learning experience, but a successful one. It’s allowed us to be in CDL for a time to see what worked and what didn’t, so if we need to move back to CDL, we’re better prepared. Ultimately, the CDL works, but it is NOT the ideal model for teaching or learning. After meeting with our Local Public Health Authority (LPHA), we all feel that we are ready to return to our hybrid model starting Thursday.”

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Tara McLain asked the board to “be bold and creative” and get students and staff back in person full time. She said she believes there is evidence that students are struggling with the hybrid model.

Frank said he was not sufficiently shown that the district can’t fit into the buildings. He added that other schools (Lakeview, Grant County, and Baker) are going in person, and he’d like to see the board push the elementary school to go back in person earlier.

Fulton said Lakeview and North Lake have shut down. He added that the district needs a fall back plan.

Frank said he doesn’t want the “yo-yo effect,” but he wants the elementary school to go back in person.

Fulton said he will take another look at the staff survey and contact the school districts that Frank mentioned.

Quick noted that it’s not just about size per classroom or cohorting, but usable square footage. He added that not all classrooms can fit the guidelines.

Winn stated that he liked what McLain said and agrees that the district needs to get creative.

Frank said he talked to an education advisor at the Malheur Education Service District (ESD) about the 6 foot bubble, which is realistically 28 cubic square feet.

Quick replied that he wants to ensure that teachers are comfortable and on board, and he doesn’t want to push the limit.

“We have to be able to return safely to school and meet all the guidelines,” he said.

Quick also reported that the district received an official complaint via Oregon Department of Education regarding facial coverings.

“We are doubling our efforts to help remind staff and students about NEW mask requirements, which include wearing them outside during recess,” he said.

Quick noted that he’s continuing to meet with regional superintendents and state leadership regarding state guidelines and sharing what is working and what isn’t.

“It is very helpful to be able to share solutions,” he said. “I attend several online meetings each week as we work on navigating the ever-changing landscape this year.”

Quick added that, as a member of the OSAA executive board, he’s been heavily involved with activities and athletic decisions and discussions. He noted that contact sports are currently prohibited, and season two includes basketball and wrestling, which are both considered contact sports.

“What season two looks like right now is up for debate, with decisions hopefully being made in December,” he said.

•••

Quick also provided an update on student attendance. He said there are 751 students enrolled in the district, but 850 were budgeted, so enrollment is down from last year. However, he added that this is normal for most districts in the state.

“We will have to be realistic in the spring when budget planning begins,” he said. “Hopefully, we recover the 100 students, but only time will tell.”

•••

Slater Elementary School Principal Debi Lorence presented information about the new robotics club, which is coached by parent volunteer Shane Sweet.

Slater received a $1,500 grant for classes, kits, competitions, etc.

•••

The board approved the following donations:

• $80.29 from Ohiopyle Prints Inc. to Burns High School athletics. This is a percentage of the profits from the retail sale of Hilander gear;

• a 1987 Mazda Truck (valued at $600) from Eric White to the Monroe School mechanic shop;

• $2,122.91 worth of paint and supplies from Parr Lumber in Burns for the Slater gym;

• $500 from Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative  to the Slater student fund;

• plants (valued at $200) from Jen and Forrest Keady of the Historic Central Hotel to beautify the exterior of Slater Unit 2.

•••

During the public comment portion of the meeting:

• Chris Nisbet voiced concern about the Slater evacuation route being posted online. Whether the post was a mistake or not, Nisbet said it is sensitive material that should never be posted online.

Lorence said she included evacuation information to help with the trauma and panic that was caused last year.

She also commended Quick for helping her and the staff with the new website.

• Natalie Wassom-Paul introduced herself as the BHEA union president and said the union stands in solidarity with Slater staff.

Angela Knox, who is the Slater building union representative, asked the board to talk to the teachers. She said they are not being heard and want to be supported.

Lorence invited the board to visit the building and said she wants them to feel comfortable. She said there’s a lot of growth, helping, and creating, and she cares a lot about staff and students.

•••

In other business, the board:

• approved the second reading of Policy ACB — All Students Belong.

• read policy ACB-AR — Bias Incident Complaint Procedure for the second time. No motion was needed for this policy;

• learned from Quick that all school blueprints were updated by administration and posted to the district’s website;

• discussed policy BCG — Attorney for the District.

Quick recommended the Hungerford Law Firm or High Desert ESD Legal Services, and he will follow up with one of them.

Fulton said he liked Quick’s recommendations, and he asked him to bring information to the January meeting;

• passed a resolution to adopt the Oregon School Board Association 2021-2022 legislative priorities and principles, as recommended by the legislative policy committee;

• was addressed by Frank regarding transfer requests. Frank said the board needs to take action and change policy to eliminate language that would prevent someone from choosing out of our district;

• the board went into executive session per Oregon Revised Statute 192.660(2)(i) at 7:18 p.m. The board came out of executive session at 7:58 p.m. and then adjourned the regular meeting.