Havre High adding remote learning appendix to school handbook

Havre Public Schools' Board of Trustees met Tuesday and discussed the revisions of the high school, middle school and elementary school handbooks for the 2020-2021 school year, including with remote learning procedures.

During the reading of the superintendent's report at the meeting, Andy Carlson thanked the principals, staff and the board of trustees for their work during this school year especially through remote learning.

"This was an incredibly difficult circumstance that we faced this spring and I would tell you at times it became extremely frustrating. There were things that we did really well and there were things I know didn't go very well," he said. "I just want everyone to know and consider none of us signed up for remote learning, and none of our students signed up for remote learning. When we began this I don't think anybody had an idea of what this looked like or how it would progress."

He said one of the things that went well was the grab-and-go food service that didn't miss a day once where someone was always serving food.

Havre High School Principal Ed Norman said there were quite a few changes needed in the high school handbook.

"Not to the extent that we have had in the past, which is good," he said. "What we did was change a lot of the yearly things, the table of contents is obviously a change and then what we did was we put a little bit of language in for COVID-19 looking for the fall potentially if there was a need for us not to be in school again with remote learning."

He said the school is going to create an alternate remote learning appendix that would be attached to the handbook.

Even if they come back to school, he said, there might be some students doing remote learning.

Lincoln-McKinley Primary School Principal Holly Bitz said the only changes for the K-5 will be some dates and names of personnel. 

Havre Middle School Principal Dustin Kraske said no changes need to be made to the middle school handbook.

All the revisions were approved unanimously by the board.

The next special board meeting will be Tuesday, June 23, at 12:15 p.m. at Robins School Administration Building.

The next board meeting will be Tuesday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Havre Middle School.