CLAFLIN — The Central Plains USD 112 board of education has adopted a set of COVID-19 protocols for the 2021-22 school year.

The adoption, which came during Monday’s board meeting at Central Plains Junior-Senior High School in Claflin, is a multi-faceted approach involving COVID testing for students to know, testing to stay and learn, and testing to stay, play and participate.

“Kids want to be in school,” said Superintendent Greg Clark.

This testing regime is a way to accomplish that goal.

The protocols include everyone being transported on a school district vehicle being required to wear face masks. The wearing of face masks is strongly encouraged in all district owned facilities and property. The district will implement safety and sanitizing protocols including, but not limited to, limiting all unnecessary physical contact/ proximity, regular hand washing and sanitizing and consistent deep cleaning of the facilities. All contact tracing/isolation/quarantine protocols will be implemented with the area health departments providing information in an advisory capacity.

In other business:

• Clark will set up another meeting with Kansas Department of Education officials regarding the district’s configuration study which will determine which path the district will follow to maintain long term viability and sustainability.

A list of options began to be discussed, including a land transfer, moving the district office and two K-12 facilities.

“As difficult as this is to discuss, we are talking about a reduction in force (teaching staff ),” said board member Tony Zink.

“We’ve got to combine this stuff,” added board vice president Tamara Dody.

“It’s going to be difficult no matter what option we choose,” Zink said.

“To draw the young professionals and families back to the area, they are going to want the high standards of education,” Dody said.

• After two brief separate public hearing, the board approved exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate for 2021-22 by just .41 mills. They also approved the 2021-22 budget.

For 2021-22, the district’s proposed tax rate is 40,667 mills with a spending authority of $13,837,163. That compares to the 2020-21 tax rate of 41.711 mills and a spending authority of $12,746,373.

• Approval was given to pay $3,000 for the CPJHS yearbook. It was noted Wilson School still has funds from last year for the yearbook.

• Approval was given to Megan Cates as dance teacher at CPJSHS, Keeley Hipp as assistant track coach at CPJSHS, and Glen Law as assistant junior high school football coach at Wilson School. • Approval was given to the CPHS

• Approval was given to the CPHS Choir fundraiser.

• Approval was given to the agreement with Symmetry to settle the high natural gas bill the district received last winter during an unexpectedly cold snap.

In a related matter, the district also approved contracting with Wood River to provide natural gas to the district as part of the KASB Gas Consortium beginning Oct. 1.

• After briefly discussing the Ellsworth County Neighborhood Revitalization Program, the board decided to stick with the plans they have now — Plans B and C.

• Approval was given to move forward with having officials from Trane begin preliminary investigations of options to replace the HVAC system and begin an indoor air quality assessment at Wilson School as well as CPJSHS. Both investigations are not to exceed $6,500 each.

• Clark said the bleachers at CPJSHS should be installed by early October.

• After a five minute executive session to discuss student matters, approval was given to students exceeding 40 hours of remote learning. • After a 20 minute executive session

• After a 20 minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel, the board approved Jonathan Dahlke as a substitute teacher and Melanie Frees as a substitute cook.

The next meeting of the Central Plains USD 112 board of education will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 11, at Wilson.