The Knox Community School Corporation continues to adjust its plans in response to the coronavirus.
Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart told the school board Monday that the school corporation will now be offering meals for pick-up at the middle school free of charge for the next few weeks. “They don’t even have to be our students,” Reichhart explained. “Any children that live in Knox, they will be able to get a free breakfast and free lunch, breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00, lunch from 11:00 to 12:00. And if they cannot make it in, we will be delivering. We just ask that they call the school, and we’ll make sure that we get the lunch and breakfast delivered or one or the other or both.”
Knox school officials are also taking steps to make sure employees continue to get paid while in-person classes are canceled. According to information provided by Reichhart, salaried employees will keep receiving their pay, bus drivers will get their route pay, and hourly employees who don’t work will get 75 percent of their regular hourly rate for the next two weeks. Maintenance staff, custodians, and central office staff are so far still required to work.
The school board passed a resolution Monday authorizing the superintendent to take any necessary action “to ensure the safety and well-being” of the school community through the end of the current term.
Reichhart stressed that as the situation continues to change, school officials will react to it. “I want to thank our staff,” he said. “I want to thank our teachers and our administrators for everything that they’ve done. And I also want to thank our parents and grandparents of our community because I know it’s not easy to do eLearning with your children or grandchildren or foster parents, whatever it is. But we’re here to help and teachers are here to help.”
The superintendent said that updates on the coronavirus situation will be shared on the school corporation’s website.
