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The Putnam County School District board
The Putnam County School District board is meeting today for the first time since Gov. Ron DeSantis closed all campuses in the state to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
However, this gathering will have more empty chairs in the meeting chambers than any of the group’s other meetings this school year.
Due to the pandemic, some of the school board members will be virtually attending today’s 3:30 p.m. meeting via Google Meet.
“We recognize the importance of our community having input for our board meetings and that the business of the school board continues to take place,” Superintendent Rick Surrency said. “We’re going to make the best of the current situation and hope people stay safe and follow the guidelines so that we can get past this.”
Some of the school board members will attend the meeting in person at the school district headquarters, 200 Reid St. in Palatka. Surrency said there won’t be more than 10 individuals in the meeting room at any point and attendees will be asked to enter the meeting room one at a time.
According to Surrency, the meeting will be broadcasted live on the school district’s YouTube page. He said the live stream is being done to ensure parents and students can stay informed and participate.
The live broadcast isn’t the only way Putnam County residents will be able to engage with the school officials, though.
Surrency said school board members will be electronically accepting public comment. He said all inquiries, which should be limited to no more than 400 words, can be submitted to publicccomments@my.putnamschools.org.
“The business at hand pertains to the parents and their children,” school board Chairwoman Sandra Gilyard said. “It is important that they be afforded the opportunity to attend.”
Gilyard is one of the school board members who won’t be attending the meeting in person, but she said people can physically attend the meeting if need be.
According to Gilyard, school board members will also be accepting public comment from people at the school district office.
Surrency said people in attendance will be asked to remain 6 feet apart to ensure the school district is adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations.
“We’re trying to meet both expectations with our community taking part in our board meetings while at the same time adhering to the CDC guidelines,” Surrency said. “For the time being, we’re doing the best that we can with the circumstances.”
For more information, visit putnamschools.org or call 329-0554.