No mask mandate at Hurley school

HURLEY — The Hurley School Board modified its back-to-school policy concerning coronavirus contact quarantines on Monday, but will continue optional rather than mandated face coverings to start the fall semester.

The school board 5-0 approved adopting the current recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding close contact with persons exposed to COVID-19 positive persons.

Going forward, the policy requires vaccinated individuals to be monitored for symptoms and tested in three to five days after exposure, according to the policy. An exposed student or staff member must wear a face covering for 14 days or until a negative test result is received.

The policy requires unvaccinated individuals to quarantine for 14 days from the time of exposure. A quarantine may end after seven days with a negative test result; 10 days from the onset of symptoms with a positive test result, or from the test date if there are no symptoms.

“I think, from our point of view, the big thing is we’re going to continue to monitor every situation,” said Kevin Genisot, school district administrator. “We’re ready to take corrective action steps to make everything as safe as possible so kids can learn in the best environment possible.”

Prior to approving the guideline, the board acted 4-1 against board member Kathy Saari’s request to stay with masking. The board then 3-2 went against adopting a mask mandate for pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, which was also supported by board member Jessica Leinon-Novascone.

The board 5-0 rescinded the policy requiring temperature screenings upon entering the school.

Saari said the lack of cohort spaces in the elementary grades this year will no longer provide natural distancing from other classrooms. She said the 30% quarantine threshold to stop in-school learning could be reached more quickly without masks and cohort spaces.

Lorie Lund, an elementary teacher and parent of a student, encouraged masking for students ages 12 and under, who are not yet able to receive the vaccination. There are more children becoming sick with the Delta variant, she said.

“I ask that we look to medical professionals for guidance and that the board go along as we did last year with the CDC recommendations and the recommendation of our health department,” Lund said.

Katie Hampston, the health officer with Iron County Health Department, said choosing which criteria to use for collective community spread prevention to is like leaving “holes in Swiss cheese.” She presented CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the state health guidelines that all currently recommend masking.

“I think one of the reasons that the Hurley school district was able to remain open last year was because we looked at the whole picture, rather than at a single metric,” Hampston said.

Masking will still be required with all school transportation to include school buses as an insurance issue, said School Board President Leslie Kolesar. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is placing discretion with the school districts in terms of masking, said Steve Lombardo, school district athletic director.

A school face-covering survey showed 69.4% of teachers, 78.9% of support staff, and 78.9% of parents responding in favor of optional masking. Another 59.5% of teachers, 68.4% of support staff and 53.3% of parents supported the temperature screenings.

Alexander Schilling, a Hurley parent, opposed face coverings, saying that if the school doesn’t require masking for influenza season, then it should not require them for the pandemic.

“Why don’t we let the parents decide what’s best for their children, as opposed to a broad sweeping order for all the students at once?” he said.

With 300 of 500 parents responding, there were 38.8% who said children ages 12 and over should be vaccinated, with 6.7% planning to receive a vaccination, 29.1% saying they would not, and 25.2% saying it’s a private matter. Another 25.2% of parents of young children plan to have vaccinations when available, with 25.8% against vaccinating, 30.4% uncertain, and 18.3% saying it’s private.

Brad Benton, a Hurley health care worker, said his proximity to COVID-19 patients requires him to mask in public, even though he is vaccinated. He congratulated the Hurley School for its “fluidity in adjusting to circumstances” in the previous school year and recommended a similar cautious approach going forward.

Jessica Strand, a parent of a kindergartener from Pence, encouraged a return to masking at least to start the school year. COVID-19 is returning and health recommendations are for masking, she said.

“I find it frustrating that the school board would go against the recommendations of American Academy of Pediatrics in regards to requiring mandatory masking regardless of vaccination status for all visitors, staff and students in K through 12 schools,” Strand said after the meeting.

Students will now be able to wear hoodies, hats, sunglasses and bandanas in school after the board reversed a previous decision 4-1 to not allow them. Kolesar reintroduced the topic after recalling a negative experience at an airport when approached by security officials while wearing similar clothing on a cold day. Saari opposed, saying the attire is not conducive to a learning environment.

Following an executive session the school board approved the resignation of Tracy Olkonen, the speech and language pathologist for the school district. Olkonen has accepted a position with the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District.