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Date: 3/1/2021
GRANBY – At the beginning of the Granby School Committee’s Feb. 16 meeting, Chairperson Jennifer Bartosz welcomed its newly elected and sworn in member Jill Pelletier. Bartosz stated, “Welcome aboard Jill and we’re very glad to have you.”
Reopening planning process & Safety Committee update
After speaking with the Health and Safety Committee, interim Superintendent Carol Hepworth said it looks like the numbers have dropped down across the whole state and it looks promising for the week. They also have had some discussions regarding vaccination and many of their related service providers, because they hold specific licenses for personal care are able to get vaccinated. “We’re helping our social workers and the Board of Health to do that,” replied Hepworth. “We’re trying to come together with a plan for getting everyone vaccinated.”
Committee Member Stephanie Parent added, “We’re continuing those conversations that Carol mentioned. We were talking about focusing more than just the day that we have prior. We’re thankful again to the Board of Health and how they’ve been providing us the amount of information that we are getting. We are really lucky because there are a lot of districts that do not have the collaboration that we’ve been having and I’m definitely hopeful that things are looking up in a positive direction.”
New vice chair & reorganization of Finance Subcommittee
The School Committee made a motion to vote member Stephanie Parent as the new vice chairperson, which was the former position of Bartosz. She pointed out that they have a precedent for the chairperson to be on the Finance Committee.
“It makes the most sense at this point for me to move to the Finance Committee and keep our standard present going with the chair being on the Finance Committee,” Bartosz responded.
With her taking on the Finance Committee role, Bartosz will not be able to be on the Policy Committee and a motion was made to have new member Jill Pelletier on the Policy Committee. In terms of the Superintendent Committee, Bartosz will be stepping down from the superintendent search because there cannot be three School Committee members on the Superintendent Committee because it will substitute a quorum.
Expedited COVID-19 vaccinations & Winter Sports update
Two of Granby’s neighboring communities have sent in a resolution in support of expedited COVID-19 vaccinations for educators in hopes that the School Committee would be interested in supporting it.
Parent stated, “Personally when I read it, I was really happy to see it. I feel like the state really is letting us down in this aspect because we want everyone back in school and we want it done safety. Having the teachers vaccinated I feel should have been priority from the get go.”
The committee unanimously made a motion to adopt the expedited COVID-19 vaccinations for educators.
Then Assistant Principal Alison Jordan-Gagner updated the committee on winter sports. She informed them that the Board of Health support basketball, but to be outdoors and are also in support of football. Gagner said they have two players that will be playing with the Amherst Football team this year and would love the committee’s support and blessing on this. They approved on football co-op for Fall II with Amherst. Gagner will be coming back to the Board of Health with a proposal for spring sports and already has approval for baseball and softball to start as early as March 1.
“Just know that spring sports is coming,” Gagner said. “It’s going to be all outdoors. Typically, we’ll be indoors in the gym for a few weeks before all the snow melts, but I’ve talked to our boys’ coach he is ready to start throwing the ball around outside obviously there will come with guidelines and restrictions very similar to that of the fall.”
She went on to say, “I think waiting was the right decision for the numbers to come down. I’m not super thrilled about basketball being outdoors. It’s not typically outdoors unless it’s summer league so I’m still struggling with the idea of not utilizing the gym at East Meadow when all the other towns around us are, but I respect the decision. I respect the recommendation and that’s what we need to do then those are the conversations I will have with my coaches.”
At the end, Bartosz mentioned that the committee will touch base before their next scheduled meeting to see where they are and decide if they will be in-person, but regardless they’ll be on Zoom. There will be no outside visitors allowed in the building so visitors’ comments and everything else will continue to be on Zoom. The committee will make their determination in the course of the week of Feb. 22 and see how it is going forward. The final determination was not avaialble as of press time.
Hepworth answered, “We are working out details with Granby Community Media & Access, so a decision hasn’t been made yet.”