At the monthly meeting of the Ontonagon Area School District (OASD) Board, they heard the first report of the Extended Continuity of Learning Plan (ECOL). The ECOL is the requirements set by the governor and the state of Michigan during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent/Principal Jim Bobula had good news for the board as he reported that the OASD is beating the standards required in the ECOL.

“We have 92%-99% attendance for students in grades 6-12 face to face learners. We have 92% to 100% attendance for students in K-5 face-to-face learners,” he said.

OASD is also above the state guidelines in virtual learning.

“With our two-way communication in virtual learning, we’ve reached 82%. State requirement is 75%,” Bobula said. “This is the beginning of our journey in dealing with the pandemic.”

Bobula also commended the maintenance staff for the work they are doing in keeping the school clean and disinfected. He complimented the students and the teachers for what they are doing to keep each other safe.

Regarding the teachers, contract negotiations started last Thursday.

The official count of students currently is 269 students. “We have had four students enroll since,” Bobula said.

The count at this time last Spring was 275. In the Fall, it was 271.

The OASD Book Fair is being done virtually. It is going on from now until Nov. 8.

The board approved the bid from JSP Contracting for snow removal this year. They had a bid of $14,650. This was lower than the other bid from the firm that had done the snow removal in the past.

“This was $1400 less than the other bid. However I want to thank the company that had done the work in the past as they did a good job,” said Bobula.

“It is the public’s money and we are the stewards of that public money,” said OASD Board President Nancy Mattson.

The board hired Ethan Mapes for the junior high boys basketball coach for this school year. Mapes has worked with the boys varsity team, and drew support from the board.

“It’s fortunate for us to find someone with the qualified experience that Ethan (Mapes) has,” said Mattson.