USD 253 students, staff and visitors will be masking up for the 2021-22 school year following the USD 253 Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening.
The board voted 6-1 Wednesday to accept a recommendation from the district’s COVID-19 advisory committee to institute a universal mask mandate, among other COVID mitigation practices, for all students, staff and visitors to district buildings. The decision followed nearly an hour of public comment during which time residents, district parents and staff on both sides of the mask issue voiced their feelings on the matter.
Board president Art Gutierrez, Vice President Leslie Seeley, Grant Riles, Jeremy Dorsey, Melissa Ogleby and Doug Epp all voted in favor of the motion. Gutierrez says his vote was not from a pro-mask or anti-mask standpoint it was simply about how best to keep kids in school the longest.
During the meeting, Dorsey stated he was uncertain which way he planned to vote. He says it was not a “happy vote” either way you looked at it.
Mike Crouch was the lone no vote on the motion. Crouch declined to comment on his decision, however, during the meeting, he stated that he feels the decision of whether or not a student masks up for school should be left to the parents.
In addition to the mask policy itself, the board also spent a considerable amount of time discussing a proposed modified quarantine. Superintendent Allison Anderson Harder:
The catch to the modified quarantine, however, is that a universal masking policy of some kind has to be in place. Dorsey says he felt that this requirement, “practically speaking,” tied the board’s hands Wednesday evening as their goal is to keep students in school and he personally could not vote against the masking policy as its absence would mean more students would likely be removed from the learning environment if they tested positive for coronavirus.
In addition to the universal masking policy, the board’s approval of the committee’s recommendation also means mask use will be optional for sporting events when there is no contact, however, KSHSAA guidelines will be the ultimate authority. Attendees at sporting events will be required to wear masks as there is typically less than three feet of distance between spectators and there is a large amount of shouting and cheering.
Breakfast and lunch hours will see elementary students eat in their classrooms while secondary students will be required to maintain as much spacing as is possible with the use of barriers as much as possible. Schools will be permitted to mix cohort groups, however, they will do so with the understanding that it will mean a larger testing pool in the event a positive COVID patient is identified within the cohort.
Wednesday’s decision supplants the board’s vote from its Jul. 28th meeting where mask use was made universal for elementary-aged children and optional for secondary students, district staff and vaccine eligible visitors.
You can find the full set of recommendations and additional information from the district by visiting USD253.org.
In other business, the board approved the publication of notice for a hearing on the 2021-22 budget and the district’s intention to exceed the revenue-neutral rate. The hearing is scheduled to take place at 7 pm on Sept. 8.
KVOE will have additional comment and perspective on the coming budget from USD 253 Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Rob Scheib at a later time.
The USD 253 Board of Education is next scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 7 pm inside the Mary Herbert Education Center.
