RIVER FALLS — During the April 19 meeting, the River Falls School Board discussed ways to distribute resources regarding the Derek Chauvin trial and how the school is creating a safe space for these conversations.

Resources have been made available on the website for families and students who are struggling with the current events happening in the Twin Cities. Resources include ways that families can have discussions with their children about current events and how to cope with stressful and traumatizing situations.

Nathan Wells and David Bell from The Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity (EID) committee discussed steps being taken toward dispersing this information. Some school board members expressed concerns about how this information is being disseminated throughout the district and offered suggestions on how to make this more accessible for those who want and need the support.

Wells said, “The resources we put together are taken from the approach of being both proactive and reactive and so we provided some things on how to have a civil discourse if some things come up in the classroom and teachers need to create a safe space for conversations to be had. We also shared some resources on how to talk to your children about traumatic events.”

Bell and Wells gave other updates about policies the school is looking at updating in many areas including dress code, LGBTQ+ trainings for staff and guidelines for creating inclusive celebrations going forward.

Superintendent Jamie Benson spoke about updates surrounding COVID-19 precautions and measures that are being taken in the schools. Events such as prom, graduation, musicals and other in-person opportunities are being offered to students. Aside from these opportunities, students throughout the district have been back to face-to-face modes of learning for five days a week since April 1.

The cases of COVID-19 increased last week to 15 total cases compared to the usual four cases per week within the district. Precautions such as mask wearing and physical distancing are still in place and will be in place for the remainder of the school year. Employees within the school district who have chosen to get the COVID-19 vaccine have now officially received both doses.

Concerns about vaccines were raised among board members; there was mention that the school board aim to encourage all families and students to get the vaccine when possible and also that the school should offer a clinic for students to get vaccinated before the end of the school year.

Board member Robert Casey said, “I’d like us as a district to encourage vaccinations and we’ve been doing that with our faculty and staff… however, one of my concerns is when we get into summer it is going to be maybe challenging for some of our students to get a vaccine… I think our school district is going to be stronger and our community is going to be stronger if most students return in the fall having been vaccinated.”

Other topics talked about during the meeting included a new trail system through the school forest that will provide a place for hiking and biking. Updates about an apple orchard to be placed near the high school and approval of an application for a Washington DC trip for middle school students during the summer were also covered.

The meeting ended with a revision of the school district calendar to align spring break with UW-River Falls spring break for the next two calendar years.