St. Cloud Sun

The Rush City School Board revisited the district’s decision to begin a remote learning program. 

The remote learning program was an answer to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school board discussed the program during its monthly meeting that was held on April 16.

James Hatz, who is the technology coordinator updated the board on the district’s tech position, said one positive is that the district was given 15 hot spots from AT&T, which provide internet access to all students who wouldn't normally have it.

Hatz told the County News Review that it was difficult to get going due to all the glitches. He said that students were taking advantage of the free internet.

“It was a sore point for us at the start, but they have updated their capacity,” Hatz said. “They had too many schools taking advantage of their free services and were overwhelmed. But lately, I haven’t received any reports of problems.”

William Campbell, Rush City superintendent, told the County News Review that the board owes a lot of appreciation to Hatz. He said that Hatz made it possible for students and teachers to connect.

“We owe a great level of appreciation to Mr. Hatz for having the ‘WIT’ attitude – whatever it takes,” Campbell said. “He has made sure teachers have what they need and students are getting connected.”

Staci Souhan, C.E. Jacobson Elementary Principal, said she has been pleased with the remote learning program. She said many parents reached out and gave positive feedback regarding the program,

“Everyone is being flexible,” she said. “Different grade levels are getting feedback from parents to find out what is successful. We’re also making sure staff is connecting with students and also with other staff members. We’ve had a lot of parents reach out with some positive feedback, and we’ve been able to connect with students to help them feel better.”