Logan sees improvement in failure rates

Logan Municipal Schools saw some improvement in its student failure rates in recent months but not enough to satisfy its superintendent — another indication of the challenges of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Superintendent Dennis Roch said during an academic update in the school board’s meeting Jan. 11 the percentage of middle-school students failing at least one class fell from 43% in October to 34% by December. In the high school, that rate of students failing at least one class fell from 33% in October to 23% in December.

Roch said their performance improved after teachers imposed Zoom videoconferencing schedules, but some students still are failing to complete or submit their schoolwork.

“These are not numbers that are normal for Logan,” he said. “We are not content with any of our students failing our classes.”

Roch said the higher failure rates are due to virtual learning making it more difficult to keep students accountable compared to face-to-face, in-person instruction.

School board member Tom Humble summarized: “Online is not as good as in-person.”

In a previous meeting, Roch reported some New Mexico districts reported up to 70% of their students were failing at least one class in virtual-learning environments.

Roch also reported five or six seniors at Logan still lacked one or two classes to graduate on time. He said several other seniors who had failed to show competency earlier in the school year had completed their required work for graduation.

In other business:

• In his superintendent’s report, Roch said of 46 educators at the district surveyed, 16 would accept COVID-19 vaccines that are available for frontline essential workers that include teachers. A total of 30 indicated they would decline the shots.

In a follow-up email, Roch said the teachers refusing the vaccine did not elaborate on their reasons, as they survey was in a yes-no format.

Roch said New Mexico Public Education Department officials told him the vaccine is not required for educators, nor would such a refusal affect their licensing.

• Roch said about $12,000 in federal CARES Act money to the district that was swept back by the state government because of a budget shortfall might be restored because of a “rosier” budget outlook as the New Mexico Legislature convenes this week.

The school district originally received $30,000 in federal coronavirus relief that could be used for personal protective equipment, sanitization, wipes and Chromebooks and headsets for remote learning.

In addition, Roch said a second coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress last month might mean up to $100,000 in additional funds to the Logan district.

• Roch gave a brief update about a lawsuit Logan and 17 other New Mexico school districts had joined last fall against the PED regarding the state imposing re-entry plans to school districts without the proper promulgation of rules to accompany them.

He said the PED imposed new emergency rules last month that addressed many of the districts’ complaints and “covered their tracks.” The state moved to dismiss the lawsuit, but the judge denied the motion once those recent rule changes were made known.

n In response to a question from board member Kyle Perez, Roch said the PED and governor are in discussions about returning middle-school and high-school students to in-person classes. Only elementary schools have taken in-person classes in most public schools since the school year began.

• Roch detailed changes in COVID-19 surveillance testing for educators in the district. He said 10% of teachers must be tested weekly, up from 5% earlier. School districts also are using home-delivered saliva tests that are less invasive and lead to faster results than the nasal swabs.

Because all-negative tests in surveillance testing are required for schools to reopen to partial in-person classes this week, Roch said teachers were more motivated to participate. He said state officials hope greater surveillance testing can find more asymptomatic carriers of the virus and reduce their exposure to others. He also expressed confidence the district’s small-group instruction format would reduce the chance of close contact if a teacher or student tested positive for the virus.

• Athletic Director Billy Burns said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was “not ready to make a decision yet” whether to resume sports as scheduled in February.

Burns, who participates in virtual meetings with other regional athletic directors, said nearby states had continued high-school sports with a “minimal” number of games canceled because of COVID-19. But he noted “she doesn’t base her decision on what other people are doing.”

School board President Scott Osborn, observing Texas had proceeded with its prep football season, said: “If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us.”

• The board approved an agreement with the state Department of Transportation for a grant that will cover 75% of resurfacing of one block of Gallegos Street just south of campus. The district’s share would be $12,000 and paid by funds from a two-mill levy approved by voters.

Roch said he would consult with the Village of Logan so it could coordinate with other street work and thus reduce costs.

When asked by board member Laurie Strebeck about adding striping to designate drop-off points for students, Roch said he was hesitant because those had been used only since the beginning of the pandemic. He said he was open to adding striping if parents and students continued to use those areas after the pandemic ends.

• Principal Crystal Burns summarized a school-safety plan and detailed how a staff member was going through training for mandated dyslexia screening of first-grade students.

• Roch said a middle-school classroom damaged by a water leak earlier in the school year was repaired and ready for in-person classes this week.

He detailed a recent purchase of new laptop computers, docking stations and carrying bags for teachers. Roch said the purchase was needed because teachers’ computers were among the oldest in the building, plus laptops are better suited for online teaching.

Roch said the performing art center, which receives almost daily use by elementary students, recently had its lighting systems upgraded.