The North Fayette Valley schools were shut down for the year earlier this month.  On Monday, the NFV school board met for a special session to decide on required learning plans as well as plans for the seniors as many of their traditions such as graduation and prom are unable to happen due to the pandemic.  

NFV board approves required learning; graduation

By Megan Molseed

mmolseed@fayettepublishing.com

The North Fayette Valley school board met for a special session on Monday, April 27 to discuss and approve a proposed Required Learning Plan for the high school. 

Since the COVID-19 related closure of all North Fayette Valley school buildings in March, teachers have been designing elective online lesson plans for the students so there would be no falling behind.  Unfortunately, administration saw only about 20 percent of the students utilizing the opportunity.  

“A couple of things got us thinking about developing a required online lesson plan,” noted NFV Superintendent Duane Willhite.  

“First, the low attendance of not quite 20 percent of the students utilizing the online lessons was worrisome to us,” he explained.  “Second, if this social distancing, school closures continues, or happens in the fall, the Iowa Department of Education is not going to be ok with us not having a required plan in place.” 

The proposed plan would begin on May 4 and continue through until the end of the school year, May 27. 

“These assignments won’t be unlike the assignments teachers have already been giving,” noted NFV high school principal Todd Wolverton.  “The biggest difference will be the assessments will be given and graded. “

The required plan will be implemented for those students in their freshman through junior years at the school.

“Those grades are where we see the biggest issue with taking part in our online learning,” said Willhite.