SHELBY -- Monday was a noteworthy one for the Shelby City Schools as the district welcomed students back to in-class instruction during the coronavirus pandemic and saw Lorie White elected as school board president and Randy Broderick as board vice president.
During the Jan. 11 meeting available to the public on video because of the pandemic, Superintendent Tim Tarvin delivered remarks on the return to school buildings earlier in the day and the outlook ahead.
Students has been out of classrooms and in remote learning since just prior to Thanksgiving as coronavirus cases surged in the community and Richland County. During that period, Richland County on Dec. 3 reached purple -- the highest level in the state's color-coded coronavirus advisory system -- and then returned to red on Dec. 24.
"I want to thank the parents and the students, grandparents, teachers, everybody's who has pitched in to help make remote learning...a successful experience," Tarvin said. "It's not easy."
Thankfully, he said, Shelby is back to face-to-face instruction. "Because we believe sincerely and generally that that's where kids learn best," Tarvin continued, noting that the Shelby City Health Department had been consulted in the return to face-to-face instruction.
"Kids were excited to be back in the classroom today and in the hallways," he said. "It was kind of a strange sight."
"It was almost like the first day of school again," Tarvin said, noting that teachers also were excited.
Tarvin said it is the district's goal and intention to stay in face-to-face instruction through the remainder of the academic year.
"We will certainly monitor the situation with COVID-19, and if there's a surge, and it calls for us to go back to remote learning, we will do so," Tarvin continued. "If that's the case, hopefully it will be short term."
During the school board's organization meeting prior to the regular meeting Jan. 11, White was elected board president and Broderick vice president.
White was selected by a 3-2 vote over Scott Rose, who had been serving as board president.
White was nominated by school board member Carl Ridenour.
Voting in favor of White on Monday were Ridenour and Broderick in addition to White receiving her own vote. Rose received the vote of board Lynn Friebel, who had nominated him, in addition to his own vote.
Broderick was unopposed as vice president, a post he already was holding. He was nominated by Ridenour.
Ridenour will continue to serve as the board's legislative liaison. Rose and Broderick will continue serving on the finance and audit committee.
Check the Shelby Daily Globe for more on the school board meeting, including an update on coronavirus vaccine efforts for district teachers and staff members, and other topics addressed by the board.
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