BOE considers COVID-19 vaccines, early college, fire inspection

PINE PLAINS — Though the topics of COVID-19 vaccines and other pandemic precautions were primary, the Pine Plains Central School District Board of Education (BOE) utilized its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20, to check in on district news.

The BOE meet via Zoom due to the pandemic and got a recap of the positive COVID-19 case reported at Cold Spring Early Learning Center on Monday, Jan. 18, and the district’s decision to transition the school from a hybrid model to a full remote learning model until Feb. 1.

Supporting Superintendent of Schools Martin Handler’s decision to keep Cold Spring in full remote learning until then, BOE President Chip Couse said, “I think the caution that you’ve taken, Dr. Handler, in closing it off until Feb. 1st is the correct move.”

If the remote learning model were to continue past then, BOE member Jim Griffin asked how many staff members the district would have to bring back into how many buildings. 

Handler said it depends on staff, the number of workers in a particular building and other factors. Handler took into account the support staff, nurses and custodial workers. He said there’s no set answer; the district will contact the Dutchess County Department of Health (DOH).

BOE member Jean Stapf asked if all Pine Plains staff are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination at this time. Handler said everyone who works for the school district falls into the 1b eligibility category, which includes teachers and other school staff, childcare workers, first responders and individuals over 75 years old. Though he acknowledged the state’s low supply of COVID-19 vaccines, he said hopefully the supply will increase, and those who work for schools will be considered a priority 1b.

Handler reported the district is advertising to replace Superintendent of Business and Finance Michael Goldbeck, whose retirement was approved at the Dec. 2, 2020 BOE meeting; so far, it’s received a handful of applicants. Handler reported the cut off for applications is Friday, Feb. 26.

Next, the board discussed the Bard Early College program and plans to fund it in next year’s budget. Typically held at the Dutchess County Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Poughkeepsie campus, this year’s program is being held remotely. As the program’s assistant director, BOE member Anne Arent explained on a later date that this is the first year that Bard College has held the program in Dutchess County, stressing in partnership with Dutchess BOCES. Open to juniors and seniors, she said in a normal school year students would attend classes in the morning and then take a bus to the BOCES campus to take a college course to get the college experience once a week.

Arent said the course would start introducing juniors to various colleges while college representatives would come speak with them. She said the program helps seniors with the application process, with visits from college representatives.

Arent explained that the program is looking for students “who are well rounded, who are hard workers and who want to be able to be in college,” not just the valedictorian.

“It could be first-generation college students, it could be regular college students — it’s not about the person being the first in the class, it’s about their ability to work hard,” she said. “We want to give students a safe place to learn how to be a college student, make mistakes, have support and guidance, so when they go to college, they’re well-prepared.”

Handler said the district is almost done with installing the school bus stop-arm cameras on its fleet of school buses and the GPS system in its bus garage.

“Once it’s up and running, not only is it going to be a deterrent for people passing our school buses — it’s a big deal,” he said. “I mean, we have two or three buses passed a week, and when it starts costing people $250 a pop, maybe they’ll be more attentive.”

For the bus garage’s newly installed GPS system, Handler said the district will be able to know where each bus is in real time — at all times.

Handler then said a thorough fire inspection was conducted in the district with zero deficiencies detected in all three school buildings. He praised Assistant Director of School Facilities Mike Remsburger, Director of School Facilities Richard McKibbon and their staff for making this possible.