The Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education narrowly approved a resolution at Wednesday night’s meeting to finalize a plan for the return to in-person education without a mask mandate for students. Approximately 80 stakeholders gathered in the Carroll High School auditorium for the nearly three-hour-long meeting to provide their input to the board prior to the decision. Before opening the public forum, Superintendent, Dr. Casey Berlau, laid out the plan put together by teachers and administrators. Their proposal provided an online option for families not comfortable with in-person education and required face coverings for all students and teachers with some flexibility for preschool through second-grade children. More than a dozen parents spoke out against the proposed mask mandate with one parent saying they would only be a distraction.
Other parents voiced different concerns, such as the mental and emotional impact of wearing a mask all day or how it would affect kids with a documented medical condition. Dr. Michelle Heim, a physician at McFarland Clinic and advisor to Carroll County Public Health, spoke to the benefits of requiring face coverings.
The issue of high school sports and whether the school would be requiring athletes to wear masks was raised. Currently, guidance from the state associations strongly recommends but does not require, face coverings during competitions. Board President, Karen Friedlein, says she had issues with the contradiction that a mask mandate would create.
She added the district would also be responsible for supplying, maintaining and providing instruction for their use if masks were to be mandated. Student transportation continues to pose a significant challenge for the district. The board’s plan limits busing to kindergarten through eighth-grade families that live more than two miles from their attendance center and beyond three miles for high schoolers with up to two students per seat. Families are strongly encouraged to contact the district about their transportation needs. Board Member, Jen Munson, made a motion to approve the plan as presented but exchanged the wording for “required” face coverings to “recommended.” The resolution passed with three board members in favor, Munson, Friedlein and Cindy Johnson, and two against, Duane Horsley and Onica Ulveling. School officials will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and emphasized their plans are subject to change with the circumstances.
Original story can be found HERE
FULL MEETING AUDIO:
