RICHMOND – Board member Jonathon Renfro’s call for a mask mandate to kick in if the number of Richmond School District absentees from COVID-19 were to reach 5% of the student population failed.

Renfro could not get any board members to “second” his motion, meaning the board did not bother to vote on the suggestion during the special meeting Monday at the middle school.

“I’m not going to comment,” he said while leaving the building.

Led by President Jon Dana, most of the other board members – like the majority of about 70 people in the audience – made their mask opposition clear from the meeting’s outset.

“We’re here tonight because we’ve had an issue with rising quarantine numbers that are keeping too many kids out of school. We’ve got to find a way to deal with that. Personally, I feel like I don’t believe a mask mandate is right. I feel that choice is with the individual,” Dana said, and went on to call the quarantine protocol “flawed” and inconsistent. “The mask mandate is a hard one for me to swallow.”

If a student tests positive for the virus, then anyone who had been within 3 feet of that student for 15 minutes at a time is subject to being quarantined under Ray County Health Department guidelines. The distance guideline is less restrictive than the 6-foot distance called for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Our problem is the guidelines from the health department. I can’t get past that part of it … and how those quarantine rules are,” Dana said.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

During the meeting, the board provided time for public comments.

Richmond High School junior Sarah Brungardt said she dislikes masks and how some teachers required wearing them during the 2020-2021 school year.

“Almost every day last year, my fellow students and I were harassed and bullied by some teachers to pull our masks up or to wear our masks correctly. Having to endure this was stressful to our mental health,” Brungardt said.

Dear Elementary teacher Brittany Horine said masks can be unsanitary.

“Some fell in the toilet, they were sneezed in, filled with snot sometimes, some were even growing things because they were never taken home or washed. Those were things that were out of our control,” Horine said.

A district parent, Clint Brungardt, said he doubted measures the district might enact would do much to reduce quarantine numbers.

“Rather, they will subject students to an environment that stifles human interaction at a time crucial for their cognitive, psychological, social and physical development and well-being,” he said.

NO ACTION IS ACTION

Renfro said the discussion should focus on how the district addresses rising COVID numbers.

“My biggest concern is my responsibility to all the kids,” Richmond High School Principal Brandon Quick said, with respect to those who do and do not want to mask, and to reduce quarantine numbers. “When they’re not at school, they’re missing out on a lot of resources, whether it’s food, counseling, academics – whatever it is – they’re missing out.”

Superintendent Greg Darling clarified the administration’s policies regarding how to address the pandemic in the district are set by the school board.

“The administration’s going to do whatever the board wants us to do,” Darling said. “If they tell us there’s no masks, there’s no masks.”

Renfro said Lathrop Elementary School had to shut down because of 25% COVID quarantine and Richmond should have action guidelines based on infection rates. He asked the board to vote to require masks in any school building when absenteeism for faculty and students exceeds 5% of the building for three weeks until the number drops below 3% for two weeks.

Renfo’s motion caused quiet grumbling and a low “boo” from within the audience, with someone stating, “Terrible idea.”

Dana asked whether anyone wanted to second Renfro’s motion. No one did.

“Motion dies,” Dana said.

The motion to adjourn received a second and the meeting ended.