The Bagley School Board voted Aug. 22 on a learning model to begin the school year, but that plan changed today, which Bagley Superintendent Erich Heise accredits to a lack of paraprofessional staff.
“When the School Board voted to open the year with in-person learning on August 22, we had five vacant para-educator positions,” wrote Heise in a letter to families.
“Last week, four more para-educator positions were vacated, and I advised the Board that, with nine vacancies (one at the high school and eight at the elementary school), the elementary school would be unable to provide legally required special education services and contractually required breaks for teachers.”
The School Board held an emergency meeting last night, and opted to shift paraprofessional support from the high school to the elementary school, to prioritize in-person learning for younger students.
This plan, with in-person learning for elementary students and distance learning for high school students, will be in place until Oct. 14.
Heise, in his letter, said he hopes to fill the vacancies quickly and resume in-person learning at the high school as quickly as possible.
The “Back to School” article for Clearwater County schools has also been updated to reflect this change.
