As Fremont Public Schools prepares to close the books on the 2020-21 school year, officials were told Wednesday of the dip in the Three Rivers Community Risk Dials.
The three-county jurisdiction of Dodge, Saunders and Washington dropped from 2.05 to 1.95. Dodge County also dropped from 2.05 to 1.95. The declines move the jurisdiction and Dodge County from high (orange) to moderate (yellow) on the risk dial.
“I think we’ve been kind of anticipating that over the last couple of weeks,” Fremont Public Schools Superintendent Mark Shepard said. “I know our numbers have really depleted. I think (Wednesday) we had one or two students out due to a positive test and no students out due to quarantine. We didn’t have any teachers out for either a positive test or quarantine. So as we finish up the school year, we’ve kind of weathered the storm.”
While graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday at the Wikert Event Center on the Midland University campus, a graduation walk was conducted Thursday morning.
“It is an event that was started about four years ago,” Shepard said. “I think we had two of them and then last year, obviously, we didn’t have it. We weren’t in session and were online only. But it is a great opportunity. Our seniors get to go back to their elementary schools or possibly JCAC (Johnson Crossing Academic Center) or middle school and they get to walk through the hall in their caps and gowns.”
Shepard said the event is enjoyable for everyone in Tiger Nation.
“It is just fun to see the students out there remembering their elementary days and the elementary students get to watch them walk through the building as well,” he said. “It gives our younger students something to look forward to, something to have as a goal.”
Michelle Schleicher, a FPS reading specialist, puts the event together.
“She does a great job of organizing it every year,” Shepard said.
Graduation will have a different look for 2021 with two ceremonies. The first is at 1 p.m. for students with last names that begin with A through K. At 3 p.m., seniors with last names L through Z will be honored. Each graduate receives six tickets.
With the last day of school set for Monday, a change in the district will start on Tuesday.
“Beginning on Tuesday, we will no longer have a mask requirement,” Shepard said. “I think that is a really important step forward. The risk dial is working in our favor right now and it gives us the opportunity to really test and see how this is going to work.”
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