(KNZA)--The Hiawatha School Board Monday evening unanimously approved waiving semester finals for year-long classes.

The finals had been set for January 11-14.

Hiawatha High School Principal Lori Fordyce requested the waiver in order to allow more instructional time.  She said that her staff had concerns about learning inequities with remote learning. 

Semester classes will still have a course final.

A brief discussion was held regarding the condition of the Hawthorne Place and possible uses of the house. The Board directed District Maintenance Supervisor Chris Morey to compile a comprehensive and prioritized list of needed repairs and cost estimates. Once the information is gathered, the topic will be revisited at a future meeting.

Morey informed the Board that a representative from Beynon Sports System, which installed the new high school track, will be on-site December 22nd to view the track. Bubbles have developed in the surface of the track, which was installed in 2018. The representative will then meet with the Board at a future meeting.

Superintendent Lonnie Moser provided a brief health update. He said positive COVID-19 and quarantine case counts within the school district are down as are the number of active cases countywide.

Since returning to school on December 9, Moser said sixty-two additional students elected to stay in remote learning until after the winter break.

Following an executive session, the Board approved a three percent pay raise for the district's administrators.

In addition, the Board accepted, with regrets, the resignation of 5th grade math teacher Sara Smith, effective December 23.