GCC

Griggs County Central School Families:

Due to the number of late starts, early dismissals, and cancelled school days that have taken place this school year, Griggs County Central will be in school with students on Monday, April 18. If we have any additional cancelled days of school, GCC will make them up in the following order (as approved by the school board in the February meeting): Wednesday March 16, Thursday March 17, and Friday March 18. Those would all be days of school with students in session.

The options this year for poor weather and/or poor road conditions involve:

  • Late start (1 or 2 hours)
  • Late start with main road only busing
  • Late start with no AM busing (and potentially no PM busing)
  • Cancel school

Please take note that virtual/distance learning is not one of the options that is considered for this school year. We have stakeholder feedback, along with state and local data, that strongly indicates that distance learning was an ineffective model academically and that it was a detriment to students socially, emotionally, and physically. Beyond that, we must consider our ability to provide an equal education to all students in the Griggs County Central School District. That obviously means quality internet access, but other considerations include full-day availability to a device, proper accommodations are met according to legal documents like IEPs and 504s, equal access to licensed teachers and support staff, and OT/PT and Speech availability, among many other equal access concerns.

After the state-wide school closure in the spring of 2020, GCC has worked to resolve many of the issues with distance learning, and we continue to work on that, but challenging problems will still be present in a one-day virtual learning plan to cover a poor weather day. I understand that some schools in North Dakota are accepting the flaws and pushing forward with distance learning plans anyway. Currently, it does not appear that replacing a day of in-person learning with a day of virtual learning is doing what is best for Griggs County Central students, families, and staff. We value what the school district can provide students in-person.

The weather will warm up, and we will make it through this winter. 

Thank you for your support of GCC.

Derek Simonsen

Superintendent

Griggs County Central