COVINGTON — The Covington Board of Education passed a resolution during its regular meeting Wednesday to allow virtual board member participation in meetings, as well as amending certain board policies in association, in response to the current coronavirus pandemic.
The resolution will allow board members to participate remotely in monthly meetings via electronic means throughout the duration of Ohio’s declared State of Emergency, but not beyond Dec. 1, 2020. As of now, the state is under a Stay at Home order, which is set to last until May 1, though the details of the prospective re-opening of schools is undetermined as of now.
In connection to the COVID-19 pandemic, the board discussed the cancellation of the PLUS overnighter, the Smoky Mountain Trip, and the Alumni Banquet. The Washington, D.C. trip has also been postponed and details about rescheduling will be released at a later date.
The board accepted the following donations:
• From Darryl Platt Memorial for Covington Scholarship Fund: $8,000
• From RPF Ltd for youth diamond dugouts: $3,829.06
• From Covington BUCC Boosters for baseball program/pitching machine & mound: $2,000
• From Numerous Donors for Covington Scholarship Fund: $1,365
• From Covington Community Chest for Covington Scholarship Fund: $1,000
• From GL Contracting for Covington Scholarship Fund: $1,000
• From Minster Bank for Covington Scholarship Fund: $1,000
• From Northrop Grumman for wrestling program: $ 520
• From Covington Savings & Loan for Covington Scholarship Fund: $500
• From PepsiCo for Covington Scholarship Fund: $500
• From PepsiCo for HS Principal’s Fund: $500
• From PepsiCo for Athletic Fund: $250
• From Debra/Wm Clason for Covington Scholarship Fund: $250
• From Pauline Meyer for Covington Scholarship Fund: $250
In other business, the board:
• Approved a list of certified supplemental contracts for school year 2020-2021.
• Approved re-employment of several classified substitutes for school year 2020-2021, including aides, bus drivers, custodians, lunchroom workers, and secretaries.
• Approved a classified supplemental contract for Mike Stephan as junior high assistant track coach for the school year 2019-2020.
• Approved CHS Program of Studies.
• Passed a resolution formally approving the provision of distance learning, retroactive to March 16, 2020, and continuing through the period of extended school closure due to COVID-19.
• Acknowledged the week of May 4 through 8 as National Teacher Appreciation Week.
• Approved the Student Insurance Program for school year 2020-2021.
• Approved Workers’ Compensation Group Rating Program, sponsored by the Ohio School Boards Association and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, for a fee of $455.
• Approved the purchase of one 78-passenger handicap Blue Bird conventional bus with REI camera system from Cardinal Bus Sales, in Lima, for $98,645 (less credit of $2,000 for trade-in of bus #7), for a net cost of $96,645, through the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council cooperative school bus purchasing program.
• Approved a service agreement with META Solutions, an information technology center organized as a regional council of governments, for fiscal year 2021, at an annual cost of $16,116.30.
• Entered into executive session, with no action taken.
The next regular board meeting will be held on May 20, at 6 p.m.
