Administrators and board members of the Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo School District observed the first anniversary of the coronavirus officially being declared a pandemic by looking forward — to a time when district policy will not revolve around COVID-19.

“Coming out of COVID — how is that going to look?” superintendent Dale Brungardt asked school board members Monday night at their regular monthly meeting in the Ellsworth Junior/Senior High School commons.

He said the pandemic, which forced a shut down of school buildings at the end of the 2019-20 school year and other changes this year, has created both challenges and opportunities.

Will the district continue to have remote learning in 2021-22? When will students be allowed to enter the school buildings in the mornings? Will social distancing be maintained? Can better use be made of the buildings?

Brungardt said what was normal before COVID-19 may not be normal once the threat passes.

“That’s what some of the questions are going to be as we move forward;’ he said.

In other business:

• Board members congratulated the high school volleyball team for receiving the Kansas Volleyball Association’s Team Academic Award. Recognized for their individual academic achievements were: All Academic First Team — Peyton Coonrod, Shaylee Leiker and Isabelle Lindsley; and All Academic Honorable Mention — Greta Klein, Natalie Rolfs and Kate Wacker.

• Following executive session, the board approved Eric Coonrod as driver’s education instructor for summer 2021; Christi Walter as 7-12 math teacher for 21-22; and accepted the resignation of Joann Sheridan as a bus driver.

• Science teacher Eric Anderson offered a presentation on project-based learning and requested the board allow him to spend $4,224 on equipment that would be needed for the teaching tool. Board members approved the request, which would involve competition between students or pairs of students to design and make Styrofoam prototypes of a dragster. Anderson played a video of other schools that have used the program with success. Money for the project will come from the money the district receives from the Ellsworth County wind farms.

“There are so many things to learn from this;’ board member Gina McGowan said.

• Board members approved a resolution to refinance bonds. The action is expected to cut the district’s payment time by five years and save $431,000, Brungardt said.