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The Dewey Public Schools Board of Education elected on Monday night to pause policy EIAC that requires middle school and high school students to take semester exams.

Superintendent Vince Vincent said that it seemed fair and proper to suspend end of semester exams for the year because the tests typically account for 20-percent of a student's grade. Vincent said there is no guarantee that students will even be at school on a specific test day, which would result in make up tests and rescheduling.

Vincent said DPS has also had a number of students who've been in quarantine due to COVID-19 over the course of the school year, so the equity of educational opportunities could come into question even though the district has had distance learning in place for many of their students. He added that the district knows that the virtual learning experience is not quite the same as having students in class.

The Dewey Public Schools Board of Education said they may revisit this item in January 2021. The Board may choose to eliminate the decision all together to allow for a new measure to be put in its place.

The 2021-2022 school calendar would be approved by the Dewey Public Schools of Education on Monday night. DPS also approved its regular meeting dates for the calendar year 2021 before entering into executive session.

Once the Board returned to open session, they approved the resignations of Jamie Phillips, an elementary school teacher, and Brandi Williams, a high school teacher and coach. The Board would go on to hire Addison Johnson as an elementary teacher and Taylor Crow as a high school teacher. Johnson and Crow will start with Dewey Schools in the spring semester.

Lastly, DPS hired a member to work with the nighttime maintenance staff. The Board also hired two bus drivers.