Music will play along with extra fall sports in Esko

The Esko school board continued its focus on addressing issues created by the coronavirus at its meeting Thursday, Sept. 24.

The recent decision by the Minnesota State High School League to bring football and volleyball back to fall with an abbreviated season prompted the board to re-evaluate some of the school events they had not yet started or had placed on hold.

Programming for grades 7-12 will be returning. Activities director Chad Stoskopf provided a breakdown on what changes would be coming about as a result of the MSHSL’s decision.

Jazz band, madrigals, math team, band and choir will resume, with the necessary precautions in place.

Stoskopf recognized that this will take a lot of work. “I’m pretty comfortable with where we’re at, but there is a long way to go.”

High school principal Greg Hexum explained that things would be a little different this year. “The plan is that there would be some virtual concerts,” he said over Zoom. They would more than likely publish shorter, more frequent virtual concerts to the school website for all to see.

Beyond these activities, the board recognized that Covid is going to be here for a while. This prompted a decision to change from once-a-month to twice-monthly meetings, all of which will be held via Zoom instead of in person. With 81 attendees present at the most recent board meeting, the use of an online platform is the best option for the community. The board will meet this way through December, when it will revisit the decision.

Superintendent Aaron Fischer also provided an update on current COVID-19 expenses. The school initially received $294,000 of CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding, which must be spent by Dec. 30. At this time, the school has spent nearly $160,000. Fischer mentioned the possibility of spending the remainder on supplies, curriculum materials, staffing, custodial services and a floor scrubber. No decisions were made, but this will be an ongoing topic.

Stoskopf also explained that the fees paid by schools to the MSHSL every year have risen to around $11,000, nearly $2,000 more than last year, resulting from the largest revenue producers for the MSHSL — four of the state tournaments — either not happening, or happening with limited fan attendance.

Although the coronavirus may continue to create obstacles for the school, the board recognized that everyone involved has been doing their part to make it as safe as possible.