R-IV Votes 5-2 for New Safe Return Plan

The Willow Springs R-IV School Board reviewed and approved an amended “Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan'' at the regular meeting on August 9. One new provision of the plan prompted extended discussion and debate among the Board members. The plan now includes a requirement for all occupants of school and activity buses to wear a face mask.

“Masks are allowed and students may choose to wear masks or PPE while at school.

The CDC and United States Department of Transportation have mandated the wearing of

masks on all public conveyances including school buses. Regardless of the mask policy at

school, passengers and drivers must wear a mask on school buses. As such, the Willow

Springs School District will require the wearing of masks by passengers and drivers, to

include regular routes and activity buses,” reads the plan.

According to Superintendent Bill Hall, the district has masks that can be provided to any child who requires one. 

“Basically, this is not an option,” Hall claimed when explaining the introduction of this passage to the plan, “The wording is such that it is a federal order. Irrespective of how we feel about kids wearing masks on buses at all… The issue is that we have been given a federal order. If we choose not to follow that order, then it opens the district to liability.”

Immediately, the conversation shifted to concerns of enforcement. Hall said he does not expect school bus drivers to monitor the students, but would be looking at hiring school district employees to ride the routes as mask protocol enforcers. The estimated cost of these man hours is $100,000 for the year. School Board members eventually opted not to move forward with paying this additional expense. The policy will be that a rider must be wearing a mask as they enter and exit the bus, with the expectation that they are kept on throughout the ride. Bus drivers are explicitly not expected to enforce the policy while driving. Parents and students who refuse to comply with the mask rule will face their child’s exclusion from the school bus. 

Then, the discussion turned to a debate comparing government mandates versus the district’s liability.

“I don’t like government mandates, and I don’t think the government has the right to mandate this,” offered Dean Aye, “...but I think our job here is to protect the school’s best interest.”

“To what end?” rejoined Matt Hobson, “Where do we draw the line?... At what point in time do we stiffen our spines and say ‘Hey, this is not acceptable for us’? “

Hall conjectured that it would take a single complaint about the school’s failure to follow a federal guideline before “you’ll have a federal agency at your door.”

“If anyone wonders about school choice...this is why,” returned Hobson, “If they wanna know why school choice and vouchers come down the pipe, it’s because of this right here.”

“I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying,” School Board President Tony Friga jumped in, “but we follow federal guidelines everyday, and this is pretty minimal to just keep the monkey off our back for the liability issues.”

“I’m perfectly fine with the school encouraging masks if that lowers our [liability risk], but it’s the mandating of telling people what they have got to do is where I take issue with it...I think we should put all of our efforts towards encouraging our students and our staff to take these measures that make sure that they stay seated in class. I’m very uncomfortable with mandating it,” Hobson concluded.

“I don’t disagree with you, Matt...but all I’m saying is that the wording [of the Safe Return Plan] needs to reflect what the federal order is,” responded Hall.

During the voting portion of the meeting, a motion from Adam Webb, seconded by Mac Gum, was made to approve the Safe Return plan for 2021-22 school year with changes as discussed in the meeting. The motion carried with a vote of five to two. Matt Hobson and Scott Foster were the dissenting votes.

 

 

Other Changes

According to Hall, the final version of the Safe Return plan he presented to the Board Monday night has remained the same as the version approved last August, except where CDC recommendations have changed.

Changes to previous versions of the plan include:

-People who are fully vaccinated or were previously diagnosed with Covid-19 within the last

three months may not need to quarantine if exposed to the virus at school. If a student has been vaccinated for Covid19, parents are requested to provide their immunization record to the school nurses’ office.

-The Willow Springs School District encourages staff and students, if eligible, to receive a

vaccination for additional protection from Covid-19 and will be supportive of local vaccination

Events. This language was added to the plan as required by DESE, Superintendent Hall said.

-Breakfasts and lunches will proceed as follows:

 High School – The high school will continue the “grab and go” breakfasts that they can take to their classrooms rather than a seated breakfast in the cafeteria. For lunch, meals will be delivered to Bear Time classes, and students will have an extended Bear Time lunch

period in the Bear Time classroom.

 Middle School – Middle school students will continue with breakfast and lunch in Grimes Auditorium. Social distancing guidelines will be followed.

 Elementary School – The elementary school will have breakfast in the classroom at the beginning of each day. Lunch periods will be staggered further to reduce the number of students in the cafeteria to follow social distancing guidelines.

One change not necessarily informed by the CDC is the absence of a locally-provided distance learning option for students. This year, the only option for “distance” learning is a virtual option provided by the district but taught by outside resources. 

Distance learning from the district’s own teachers may be utilized if pandemic conditions move precautions to Level 3 or 4. The school year will begin on August 23 at Level 2, seated instruction with social distancing and sanitation precautions.

The plan will be reviewed once a quarter months by the District Health and Wellness Committee, which will include student delegates, teachers, students and parents. Recommendations for revisions will be presented to the Board of Education for final approval.