BOZEMAN — The Bozeman School District developed a system to help them look at current COVID trends within the district to help them with their decision making.
“I’m happy to say that even though it’s only been several weeks since our last update, there’s been several weeks of improving trends within the district,” explained Chad Berg who's on the BSD COVID Metric/Matrix Task Force.
A few weeks ago, the COVID metrics and matrix raised some concern.
“It was this string, particularly of high school cases that we were seeing and as Casey mentioned at the high school, middle school and elementary levels, evidence of in-school transmission that was prompting concern, which then prompted a conversation with the board,” Berg said.
But this meeting was all about good news because current trends showed promising results.
“Actually we’ve fallen below this CDC high risk line. It’s the first time at the high school level that we’ve fallen below that line,” he explained.
Several questions came up from trustees including CDC recommendations changing from 6 feet social distancing to 3 feet.
“When those types of changes are coming about as a district, how are we looking at those,” asked Kevin Black, a trustee on the school board.
“It doesn’t change a whole lot because we’re essentially there with the move to full in-person instruction,” Berg responded.
Another highlight from Monday’s meeting was the approval of current Hyalite Elementary principal Mike Van Vuren as the new deputy superintendent for the 21- 22 school year.
“The advantage from my perspective is just having really good stability in the district next year and having good, innovative thinkers. I think you fit in really well so congratulations,” said Gary Lusin, another Trustee on the board.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 12.
For the district's current metrics/matrix, visit here.
