LR plans to continue paying staff through coronavirus epidemic

Lake Roosevelt Schools intends to continue to pay their staff throughout the duration of the coronavirus epidemic, which has shut down the school at least through April 24.

A March 23 Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting was held remotely via the Zoom telecommunication application. Board members, the superintendent, and more communicated from separate locations due to the social distancing instructions put in place to help thwart the spread of coronavirus.

Superintendent Paul Turner said about the school’s budget that “there is a bit of concern, depending on what the state revenues do in the next two quarters, in looking at our future; not our close future, but out a ways.”

Salaried employees like teachers and administrators will still collect salaries. And the district plans to continue to pay its hourly classified public school employees, Turner said.

“The idea is to keep everybody whole on their basic contract,” he said. “We’re looking at ways to keep them working. When they can’t fulfill all their hours, we’re putting together professional development for them to do.”

Speaking more specifically on athletics, but relevant to academics, Turner said that “Hopefully we’ll come back on board shortly, but I wouldn’t put any money in that bank that we’re going to be back to school.”