Featured image: BSD nurse Billie Rose and Alan Faulkner of ARcare demonstrate certain aspects of a telemedicine assessment at Monday evening’s school board meeting.
Spaced out at chairs and tables at least 6-feet apart and masked up, a few attendees and the Batesville School Board gathered Monday night to discuss regular business among other things about the upcoming school year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the district is offering both in-person and virtual learning options. The virtual learning option, known at Pioneer Virtual Academy, currently has about 213 enrollees, almost evenly divided between primary (K-grade 5) and secondary (grades 6-12), according to Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Douglas. The district student body for grades K-12 is approximately 3,400.
The board also recognized Batesville High School basketball standout Izzy Higginbottom for her commitment to the University of Missouri to play at the collegiate level starting in the 2021-22 school year. (To view the video about Higginbottom shown at the meeting, click here.)
Alan Faulkner, the vice president of operations for virtual care at ARcare and district nurse Billie Rose presented and demonstrated to the board how ARcare telemedicine will operate at each school.
Each school will have an ARcare telemedicine clinic to provide immediate care to students and staff when needed, regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay at the time of treatment. And each clinic will be equipped with various tools that make virtual patient assessment possible — including access to rapid flu, strep, and COVID-19 testing.
Assistant Superintendent Drew Sandage introduced the district’s new director of transportation, Robbie Cox. Cox recently helped the district acquire a few new busses, including one ADA-accessible bus with a wheelchair lift.
Other business included approval of the conversion charter application, designations for the 2020-21 school year, and approval of a new district auditor service.
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