Fort Recovery schools to try 'virtual academy' in 2020-2021

FORT RECOVERY - School board members during Monday evening's meeting authorized the superintendent to proceed with a virtual academy pilot program for the 2020-2021 school year.

Superintendent Larry Brown said the district will join a consortium of public school districts called the Northwest Ohio Virtual Academy. The group includes roughly 50 school districts and career centers.

The pilot program would be a one-year, full-time educational experience for students who may not be ready to return to an on-site learning environment due to COVID-19, Brown said.

A Fort Recovery Local Schools teacher would track participating students' progress, Brown said, noting the curriculum would be more rigorous than the remote-learning students completed during the COVID-19 shutdown.

The curriculum would meet Ohio Department of Education standards, and students could still participate in extracurricular events.

However, co-curricular classes such as band, choir, agriculture and vocational classes would not be included because they require a student to participate in person.

Each participating student will have access to a district-provided device to access the curriculum. The devices will have the same available applications and filtering restrictions as in-school mobile computers.

Students who choose to participate in the program will be full-time Fort Recovery students and will require approval from their respective principal and counselor to transfer into or out of the program, Brown explained. Students will be able to meet with teachers by appointment during limited office hours on campus.

Brown said virtual academy students must meet login requirements set by ODE, NOVA and Fort Recovery Local Schools. However, virtual academy students will have considerable flexibility related to their schedule if they maintain the necessary academic progress.

Special-education students on an individual education plan will still have a district special-education teacher to monitor their progress but only in relation to their individualized education program goals.

Seniors would be eligible for a Fort Recovery High School diploma upon completion of all requirements. Brown noted seniors in the pilot program would be ineligible to be valedictorian or salutatorian due to in-school class requirements.

In other business, board members accepted a $254,975 construction bid for the bus maintenance and storage facility project.

Representatives from Garmann/Miller Architects-Engineers of Minster recommended board members accept a bid from Arcon Builders, Arcanum, which submitted the lowest bid. The new 2,150-square-foot building would include two maintenance bays, a restroom and a storage area and would be located west of the existing bus building. The project had been estimated to cost $292,190.

Board members also received bids from Muhlenkamp Building Corp., Coldwater, $259,599; Westerheide Construction Co., Sidney, $271,600; and Central Structures, Greenville, $279,000.

Board members also,

• approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2020-2021 school year: Rachel Klosterman, high school volleyball reserve coach; Sierra Pugh, high school volleyball assistant coach; Shean Bosworth, high school boys basketball assistant coach; Jerry Kaup, high school baseball head coach; Harold Fiely, high school baseball assistant coach; and Shane Stein, high school track assistant coach.

• approved the following as volunteer coaches for the 2020-2021 school year: Taylor Flaute, high school girls cheer coach; April Bihn, assistant volleyball coach; and Tiffany McEldowney, assistant volleyball coach.

• approved an agreement between Fort Recovery Local Schools and Rehabilitative Services Inc. for services of certified athletic trainers, physical therapists and other appropriate personnel on an as-available basis from July 1 through June 30, 2021, at a yearly cost of $15,000.

• approved membership in the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council-Liability, Fleet and Property Insurance program and participation for the 2020-2021 year.

• approved and thanked the following for their donations: Network for Good, $12, high school activity fund, and anonymous, $600, track.

• increased lunch prices by 10 cents for the 2020-2021 school year. Lunch prices for preschool through fifth grade will be $2.30; grades 6-12, $2.55; adults, $3.30; and a main entree will cost $1.60.

• met in executive session to discuss employment and matters required to be kept confidential by federal law or rules or state statutes. Brown said potential action could be taken on the matter of employment but did not anticipate action on matters required to be kept confidential by federal law or rules or state statues. Brown could not be reached for comment by press time.