The first student hasn’t walked through the door for the start of Marysville’s school year and the district has recorded its first positive case of coronavirus.
Superintendent Diane Allen told members of the board of education at Thursday night’s meeting that a member of the Marysville staff has tested positive for the virus and is in quarantine. She would not identify that staff member, or even clarify if the individual was a teacher or member of the support personnel, because of medical privacy issues.
“We worked with the health department to assist in contract tracing and they have notified all individuals who were in close contact with this person,” Allen said Friday.
She told the board that the positive test is likely not the last the district will experience in the coming year.
In fact is seemed like most issues handled during the meeting dealt with the impacts of COVID.
Director of Operations Ryan Walker told the board, through a video presentation, that bus routes have been finalized and drivers are learning them ahead of Monday’s first day of school. Walker said the district is fortunate that it will not need to duplicate routes or run shuttle buses because district parents responded to requests to lessen bus capacity.
He said a number of parents agreed to transport their children to school to take strain off of school transportation. Walker said the district will transport about 60% of the number of students from last year, which allowed officials to offset the capacity issues.
Allen said the district has also set up isolated space near the front of each bus for students who do not have or refuse to wear a mask. Building principals will then deal with the issue once the child arrives at school.
The board also approved a pair of Memorandum of Understandings regarding staff and their adjusted duties because of the virus.
One of the documents spells out duties of teachers regarding issues such as in-school health protocols, as well as the process to be followed if a staff member tests positive.
The other memorandum formalized the pay structure for coaches surrounding the uncertainty of sports seasons.
In the spring, when all games and practices were canceled prior to the start of the season, Marysville’s 29 coaches were paid approximately 60% of their supplemental contracts.
To bring clarity should other seasons be canceled, the new agreement says that all head coaches will be guaranteed to be paid their full contract amounts because of the year-round nature of the job.
Assistant and middle school coaches will be paid a portion of their salary based on the duration of the season. All coaches are guaranteed 50% of their salary and will receive the remaining money in two 25% installments if the season progresses past certain dates.
In other business, the board:
•Approved a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with the City of Marysville for a development planned by the Southgate Company in the Marysville Innovation Park. Under the agreement, the company will received a 75% real estate tax abatement for 10 years.
According to district treasurer Todd Johnson, the agreement will result in the district receiving an estimated $30,000 annually, while giving up $100,000 for the abatement. The schools will also see an estimated $10,000 revenue share from the city from income taxes.
“As a district, we obviously know that our community needs to grow,” board member Dick Smith said of the abatement.,
•Learned that six student and one staff member have had mask waivers approved.