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Teaching Positions Filled: Last night the School Board held a special meeting to hire 3 teachers to fill open positions in the elementary for Title I and in the JH/HS for Math/Title/Art. We are grateful that the schedule for students in high school will still offer the same courses and that current teachers will be able to plan accordingly for the upcoming year.

COVID 19: There is always something in the news about COVID 19. The latest came out this week with news about face coverings and updated information from the CDC. Also this week Governor Gianforte as well as Superintendent Arntzen of OPI made statements on the issue. There is still lots of conflicting information out there. As of today we are still planning for face coverings being optional unless the County, State, or School Board takes action with a directive. We will still promote handwashing with extra wash stations and sanitizers. We will still have breakfast and lunches the same way we did last year in order to reduce the number of interactions students have with each other. We will still do our best with social distancing on buses with seating assignments, in classrooms, and hallways. We will assign lockers in pods again like last year. There will always be chances for quarantines with positive cases of COVID 19. At this time the only way to avoid being quarantined due to close contact is to have been vaccinated. Students who are old enough to get the vaccine, especially student athletes, should discuss options with their parents/guardians. Last year we had multiple student athletes who chose off-site instruction to reduce the chances of being quarantined from their classmates who were not also playing sports. We will not be offering off-site instruction this year unless there is a school closure so that is not an option this year. Although vaccinations are not required, it is something to take into consideration.

School Starts Aug. 23: A mandatory meeting for ALL athletes 6-12 and their parent/guardians will be held on Aug. 12 at 8 PM. The first day for high school sports practices will be Aug. 13 so please make sure to get sports physicals scheduled. The first day of class for students will be Aug. 23. We will not be offering “off-site” instruction next year. In the event of an outbreak, quarantines, or state mandated closing we will adjust instruction accordingly. Face coverings will be optional not required. Full attendance at activities will be allowed.

Bus Routes: There are some changes to bus routes this school year and we will be getting out those changes to parents soon. We plan to send out estimated pick-up times, places, and drop-off areas within the next two weeks. In an attempt to reduce time spent on the bus several routes will have bus stops where riders will have to meet the bus for pick-up and drop-off.

Substitutes Needed: As the first day approaches it is time to recruit substitutes in all areas of the school. We were able to keep going last year because of the tremendous substitutes we had on call. If you are interested in subbing in the classroom, as a bus driver, as a custodian, or as a kitchen server please contact the office for more information. In most cases, all that is needed is that the person pass a fingerprint background check.

Fees: Meal prices are as follows for school breakfast and lunches: K-6 are charged $1.80 for breakfast and $2.05 for lunch. Grades 7-12 are charged $1.95 and $2.15 respectively. Participation fees for athletics are $40 for HS students and $30 for JH students. Fees must be paid by the second contest in order to play. Annual passes for admission are $35 for students; $50 for an adult; $145 for a family of 5. Student athletes must pay the participation fee and the admission fee.

Trustee Election: At May’s regular monthly school board meeting trustees approved a new election for 3 positions due to a discrepancy between an earlier election resolution and trustee advertisement. The original election set for May was cancelled after consultation with the Office of Public Instruction, the Montana School Boards Association, the Lake County Elections Office, and the Lake County Attorney.

The trustee election will now be held September 14, 2021. There is 1 position opening for the Charlo High School District for a resident of the Dixon School District. There are 2 additional positions open for interested residents of the Charlo School District. Declaration of Intent and Oath of Candidacy forms are due by Aug. 4, 2021 at 4 PM. Forms are available at the District Office or you can request that a form be mailed to you. If you have any questions please call Sara Vaughan at 644-2206 ext 303.

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