Decision will be made at May 24 special board meeting

RIVER FALLS – A dozen parents dominated public comment at the River Falls School Board meeting held Monday, May 17. The majority of speakers, who remained civil but passionate, took a stand against masking students, quarantining and close contact tracing and demanded the board make a decision to unmask students that evening.

Superintendent Jamie Benson and the school board members all agreed that before a decision could be made about masking for summer school, they wanted to hear parents out and glean more information from Pierce County Public Health. Board President Stacy Johnson-Myers made it clear the board would make no decision that evening.

At the time the meeting was held, the board members did not know that PCPH’s mask advisory order had been amended earlier that day to make masking optional indoors for vaccinated adults beginning June 4.

Comments ranged from accusing the district to publishing gene therapy propaganda online, using children as guinea pigs, teaching critical race theory, etc.

“Stop shoving this experimental gene therapy down our throats,” said parent Jill Ewold. “If you’ve been vaccinated, I repeat, you are the experiment.”

“The school board has never taken a position about making decisions four families about a vaccine,” Johnson-Myers answered.

Parent Sara Bocklund said in a recent study, the vaccine killed every animal that had it injected. She also shared her opinion that the vaccine is an experimental eugenics program that may make people sterile years from now.

“It’s time someone grew a pair and made some common-sense decisions,” Bocklund said.

Public comment was put on hold until Benson could finish an update on COVID-mitigation efforts. The idea was to give information, then turn the mic over to parents so their voices could be heard, Benson said. While there are many differing opinions on mask use, we are in a different place today than when the pandemic started, he added.

“I think it’s important that we as a district don’t send a message that doesn’t indicate some shared desire that things need to change and will change, but the question of timing comes into play,” Benson said. “We’re all anxious to see some changes with that (in regards to close contact tracing and quarantines). Believe me, we are.”

“For months, the district followed the science and health expert guidance association with mask wearing and quarantine,” the presentation slide said. “NOW, with vaccines, lower COVID-case numbers, fatigue/social/emotional health considerations, etc., many people are conflicted with mask/quarantine practices.”

The RF district instituted a “mask for all” policy at the beginning of the 202021 school year, Benson said. The Pierce County masking advisory order required masking for every person age 5 and older indoors in a public place, he added.

Why not ignore the PCPH advisory order? Benson asked. He listed the following reasons:

•The liability insurance coverage contract says that there will be no insurance coverage if the district “intentionally violates” a public health order, ordinance, law, rule, etc. It would be indefensible if/when the district were to knowingly go against PCPH’s advisory order.

•The state “COVID Immunity Law” does not give school districts carte blanche to ignore governmental orders.

•Precedence and implications of school boards knowing more than a public health department. Should school boards override public health experts on communicable disease guidelines?

“Leave out whether you disagree with the science or not,” Benson said. “These are points for the school board to ponder. Line up wherever your opinion is on that.”

For the remainder of the school year, masks will be required, Benson said. This summer, the district and board will work with PCPH and hope to make changes, such as re-evaluating the mask policy, close contact tracing and quarantines.

“The good news is, state and county public health officials are discussing possible revisions, but it’s an unknown timeline for possible revisions,” Benson said. “The head is not in the sand. Changes don’t happen with the snap of the fingers.”

The mic was turned back to parents, who had plenty to say. Resident Roxanne Ross said her child had been contact traced three times and tested negative for COVID. She is frustrated by not just the classroom instruction he misses, but time on the field, the court and the in-person support.

“Imagine teaching a kid foreign languages, advanced math, and mechanics at the kitchen table,” Ross said. “There is no more time for teachers and students to make up lost time. Please, please terminate the contact tracing immediately.”

Benson and Johnson-Myers agreed that quarantining/contact tracing needs to be re-evaluated and Benson said he’s been advocating for that with Public Health Officer AZ Snyder. He said Snyder herself has been advocating for that with state officials.

Other parents shared beliefs that masks inhibit airflow and trap pathogens. One dad said his children, who are not medically able to wear masks, have been shamed and bullied.

“To force our young people to wear these masks seven hours a day, breathing in their own exhaust, is despicable, it’s inhumane and it’s child abuse,” said parent Angie Krause.

Mark Woychik, a grandparent from Prescott, cautioned the board that the pandemic is really Bill Gates’ attempt to bring about an “evil, satanic, one-world government.”

Lisa Anderson stepped to the mic next. She had been watching the meeting online at home, but drove 10 miles into town to support the board.

“I want to speak for the silent people who agree with the school board’s decisions,” Anderson said.

Her son has been playing basketball all year in a mask, with no ill effects, she said. Her 40-year-old cousin was just weaned from a ventilator, and her sisterin- law was in the hospital for 42 days fighting COVID.

“This is personal to me,” Anderson said. “I know people have all sorts of data. My data is that people I love have been devastated by this illness.”

Each board member spoke, and all agreed that re-evaluation of contact tracing and quarantines is a must, masking until the end of the school year makes sense, and making a decision about summer school masking after receiving more information from PCPH is smart.

Board member Mike Thompson, who has a doctorate in molecular biology, said he supports the medical and public health approaches.

“I’ve gotten feedback from a large constituency who supports decisions we’ve made,” Thompson said. “It’s great to get all perspectives but there’s a lot of people who believe we need to stay safe.”

Check next week’s Journal for coverage of the May 24 school board meeting.