BOE meets virtually, discusses rest of 2020

SALYERSVILLE – The Magoffin County Board of Education met virtually in regular session on November 24.

Superintendent Scott Helton explained to the board that he is in close contact with the health department and he had to send the staff home due to the high positivity rate in the county.

He noted that they had a brief interruption in the feeding program when two cooks at two different schools had tested positive of the novel coronavirus. Helton explained that he will only call off the feeding program if they do not have enough cooks, but he commended the staff that works hard each week to provide meals to Magoffin County students.

Helton also said that the governor recommends postponing all in-person classes at the middle school and high school levels until January 4, with the option of elementary school starting back on December 7. Helton recommended to keep all students on the same schedule, however, with all students virtual until January 4, then hopefully being able to start back with the hybrid plan, again.

“Hospital beds are filling up and ICU units are near capacity,” Helton said. “We have to be very cautious.”

He also noted that all middle school and high school sports are off until January 4, though they may be able to start practice, again, on December 14. They are not planning to start any elementary sports before the spring, he said.

Current guidance for winter sports indicates that the gym could not exceed 15% capacity.

Helton urged parents and families to be careful this holiday season.

“It’s crucial to follow the guidelines if we ever want to get our kids back to face-to-face,” Helton said.

All members were present in the virtual meeting except Jesse Rudd and Doug Collinsworth.

The next regularly-scheduled Magoffin County Board of Education meeting is tentatively slated for December 22.