Statewide closures of schools due to COVID-19 haven’t stopped the Fayette R-III School District from meeting the needs of its students. Kids were scheduled to return to school on Tuesday, March 17, after enjoying a long, four-day weekend for Spring Break. But the ongoing coronavirus pandemic changed everything.

Fayette joined a long list of schools that closed to help prevent the spread of the virus. Although school is not in session, the district is far from shut down. On Wednesday, the school began distributing breakfasts and lunches to all children within the district up to the age of 18, whether or not they are enrolled in school here. The meals are handed out to children at three locations: in the middle school parking lot on Lucky Street from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and from 11 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church parking lot in Fayette and the Community Center in Armstrong.

The school handed out 154 meals on Wednesday, the first day, 192 on Thursday, and 251 on Friday.

The meals are prepared by the school’s in-house food service, which is headed by Paula Volkmann, and will be funded through reimbursements from the state.

A little more than 50 percent of the district’s students are already on the free and reduced lunch plan and receive Buddy Packs of food provisions to cover weekend meals. Those students are each still receiving their Buddy Packs, which are picked up along with the meals on Fridays.

But the Fayette district is not stopping at just food service. Teachers are preparing education materials to continue learning at home. Elementary teachers sent out packets of work to students on Friday. Middle and high school teachers sent out both physical and online lessons and homework.

“Ensuring learning continues for our students while they are away from school is a priority and we have been working diligently to meet our students’ needs under these unique circumstances,” explained Fayette Superintendent Jill Wiseman. “We understand that many of our students do not have access to online learning opportunities, so we have worked to provide options with traditional paper as well as online instruction.

“Our teachers have really stepped up to the plate to determine the best ways to reach their kids. We want their time away from us to be as constructive as possible, while still making it manageable for students and their families.”

Initial plans had the school closure lasting throughout the month of March. As of Monday morning, word came down that school hopes to reopen on April 6. “As the situation evolves, we will make decisions on whether or not that date will need to be extended,” Wiseman said.

The state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will not  require districts to make up calendar hours lost due to COVID-19 and missed calendar hours will not impact the calculation of average daily attendance. It will also not administer state MAP/EOC exams.

“All families are dealing with stress and anxiety from various angles.  It is our intention to support our students and families, but not add to that burden. We just want all of our students and their families to be safe and healthy and we are really looking forward to their return,” Wiseman said.

So far there is no plan yet regarding changes to graduation ceremonies. The junior/senior prom was postponed to May 2, although no plans at this point are permanent.

The Fayette Board of Education, acting on the advice from the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA), gave unanimous approval of a resolution that grants the district’s superintendent additional authority to make decisions without board approval amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the resolution is to allow the superintendent to make decisions and changes to district policy in order to avert delays during the constantly and quickly evolving global event.

The  came during the board’s regular monthly meeting Wednesday night. It will be in effect as long as school remains closed due to the pandemic.

Superintendent Wiseman said she has not yet had to invoke the resolution, nor does she intend to “unless absolutely necessary.”

The social effects of the coronavirus were on full display during the meeting. Instead of convening in the boardroom of the administrative building, members moved to the more spacious high school library and were spaced out with at least six feet of distance between them. Even chairs and tables for spectators were arranged in such a way as to practice so-called “social distancing.”

Wiseman also told the board during last week’s meeting that hourly employees will continue to be paid throughout the closure. “We are committed to paying our hourly employees,” she said. State funding for school districts will continue as normal.

As the situation continues to evolve, the Fayette Advertiser will keep you informed. For more timely reporting, check out the newspaper’s website, www.fayettenewspapers.com, and social media feeds.