Jefferson School Board Votes To Mandate Masks After Heated Meeting

On Monday night, the Jefferson County Board of Education convened in the library of Jefferson High School. The meeting opened to a slew of citizen comments. The vast majority of these comments were parents speaking out against any possibility of a mask mandate for the coming school year. These parents made claims that masking children was unnecessary, ineffective, and would do more harm to the children than good. Multiple families threatened to transfer their child to another school if masks were mandated for this school year.

As the meeting continued, multiple items were quickly covered. This included the approval of the 2021-2022 budget, the approval of the revision of the Coach’s Handbook, the creation of a new custodial second shift position for Jefferson High School, and a quick review of nearly $30,000 in donations made to the district across different schools.

Business carried on into reviewing revisions for COVID Instruction protocols. Superintendent Charles Urness presented the current plan for the school’s operations during the fall. As it was presented, the plan loosened up on a lot of COVID restrictions, including the option to wear masks, and no vaccination requirement. An important update to this plan is the district upgrading from rapid antigen COVID testing to a far more accurate PCR COVID test. The tests will be available to students showing symptoms and have an estimated 24-hour turnaround for results. Another mitigation measure being taken by the district is the installation of an ionization system in the school’s vents to further purify the air in the schools, hopefully reducing transmission of the virus.

Not everyone was pleased by the plan as it stands, however. Multiple Board members took issue with the mask policy being left up to parent choice, claiming it was a dangerous choice to make. These Board members cited the recommendations of both the CDC and the Jefferson County Health Department experts. Another argument against this plan was areas in the south, where many schools have already opened for the year, already struggling to keep their schools healthy. President Wenkman compared the state of Mississippi’s vaccination rate of 45.1% to Jefferson County’s 47%, claiming that their schools would probably not fare any better in a mask-optional setting. The Board spent some time arguing amongst themselves on this issue, with some claiming it was not nearly enough mitigation, while others claimed it was already too much. Occasionally, a parent from the crowd would yell something out to interject in the debate.

Eventually, it was moved to approve the COVID Instruction plan, with the amendment that it would adhere to Jefferson County Health Department guidelines as the situation develops, subject to change throughout the school year. This includes opening schools with masks required for all students and requiring quarantine periods for those exposed to others with COVID-19. The idea is to begin the school year with all the safety they can, and slowly peel back regulations as the situation allows. It is hoped that this allows for better control of the ever-changing situation, as opposed to opening with no restrictions and immediately losing control. The movement passed in a four to three vote. The amendment is already on the agenda for review at the next Board meeting.