(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board, Tuesday evening, held a special meeting to discuss the goals and ultimately approve a plan ( see details here: scan_ssheeder_2021-08-03-20-07-05) for transitioning students from the Atlantic Middle School (AMS) to other District sites. The change is necessary due to a fire on July 27^th that left the building with substantial water damage. Superintendent Steve Barber said last week, the building cannot be occupied when school starts August 23^rd. The building is currently being cleaned, he said, and restoration will follow. Barber said “although those working on the building are making good progress, the process should take a whole year.”

Atlantic School Board meeting 8/3/21 via Zoom.

Barber said he and AMS Principal Josh Rasmussen got together and came up with three goals the district must accomplish to serve the students in light of the current situation.

(To serve each of the middle school grades together; finding a plan that was logical and doable, making it the least disruptive to middle school students and staff; and developing a plan that would disrupt the least amount of individuals or programs in the school district.)

He said the proposed plan is divided into three sections. The first is with regard to 8^th Grade students. The High School Media Center will be used for classrooms, with the goal of keeping MS students as separated as possible from 9-12^th graders

The second concerns 7^th Grade students. They will be housed in the eastern third of the District’s Achievement Center, in Atlantic.

The 6^th Grade students will be served in the developed western third of the Achievement Center building. EOC (Educational Opportunity Center) students will be relocated to two classrooms at Iowa Western Community College, in Atlantic.

Links program students and staff will find a temporary new home in the Early Learning Center, where the Home school Assistance program is located.

Before the plan is put into action, there are several necessary steps: It must first be approved by the State Fire Inspector; A plan will also be developed to determine transportation needs; The back end of the Achievement Center will be cleaned-out and another location found to safely store the equipment; Technology must be ordered, also, and the necessary access points to provide internet access; They will also need to begin to furnish the spaces with the necessary equipment to conduct classes; and Mr. Rasmussen will collaborate with teachers at the Middle School to determine their needs and the best ways to educate in the new setting.

In addition to approving the Transition Plan, the Atlantic School Board approved the purchase of certain pieces of technology in the amount of $80,140, from 2ndGear in Temecula, CA.