HURON — The Huron School Board of Education met Monday evening, via an online meeting app, with a wide range of items on the agenda.
The Huron School Nutrition Program applied for grant funding for feeding children during unexpected school closures.
“Anybody through age 18 can request a meal, they don’t have to be enrolled in any school,” said Business Manager Kelly Christopherson.  
Superintendent Terry Nebelsick addressed the following varsity teams/groups have achieved a combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher and are eligible to receive The South Dakota High School Activities Association Academic Achievement Award: One-Act Play, Gymnastic Team, Debate and Individual Events, Girls Basketball Team, Boys Basketball Team, Girls and Boys Basketball Cheerleaders, All State Band, Vocal Solo-Ensemble Group, Band Solo- Ensemble Group, and Orchestra Solo- Ensemble Group.
Nebelsick thanked everyone who stepped up for the first round of handing out meals and the 52 staff members who have offered to help out with the emergency child care. There will be six rooms made available with four students and two teachers in each room. “I Believe we are ready to go (Tuesday) with the emergency child care; everyone has been quite incredible with that, it will be in the 6th grade wing of the middle school,” explained Nebelsick. “Children will have their temperature checked by one of the three school nurses upon entrance. A total of 13 students will attend the child care tomorrow and nurses are monitoring that there are sanitary hand wipes and those types of things made available.”
Nebelsick added that school custodians have began cleaning and disinfecting rooms and shampooing carpets and will clean the rooms after the child care daily.
Transportation employees have made arrangements to make sure the school buses are cleaned and disinfected.     

As distanced learning continues, the staff and teachers have stepped up and made packets and online classes available for students.
“We’re not throwing in the towel for the school year,” said board president Garret Bischoff. “I think with technology we can continue to teach kids and do the best we can until things change.”
Home packets were sent to kindergarten and 1st grade. There will be a garbage can outside the building that will have a slit in the top for the students to return their home work so nothing is touched for safety for the next 48 hours.
 The Madison 2-3 Center will have individual learning packets available today and throughout the week, which are in totes and papers zip-tied to the chain link fence. They will continue assessing needs for the students. Teachers will make contact with the students weekly.
 The Washington 4-5 center received learning packets last Friday. There is a garbage can return in front of the building labeled 4th and 5th, which is to be placed outside beginning today. The teachers and staff are assessing online classes and methods.
  Middle school students have an updated website for distanced learning online. Students are able under each teachers’ tab on the district website to receive their homework. Some teachers also sent home packets to those who needed them. Initial phone calls were made to be sure the students have access to the Internet or a device like a laptop or tablet. Some teachers have began teaching classes on Zoom.
High School students have online classes and are encouraged to show their parents they’ve completed the homework they received from the website.
The mobile feed bus began serving “Grab and Go” lunches Monday, with 137 meals served at Madison, 49 at Head Start, and 85 at Washington. Each meal contains enough food for two days additional days, Monday’s effort equaled a total of 900 lunches served.
“People’s income has been interrupted and this helps stretch their income,” said Nebelsick. “We are developing strategies for a drive thru pickup and we will continue to learn as this goes on. We thought three sites would be plenty but we may need to sub divide.”
Christopherson gave an update on the construction at the Huron Middle School and the Huron High School, stating they are taking the necessary precautions on construction. He said they plan to pay all regular employees whether on active or standard duty.
The next board of education meeting will be held on Monday, March 30, at 5:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to watch on local channel 6, or stream online at www.k12.sd.us.