Aug 25

Aug 25 Column: Davidson County school board reverses mask decision

On Monday August 23, the Davidson County Schools (DCS) Board of Education held a special called meeting to provide COVID-19 updates, address protocols, and to revisit its previous decision of optional masks. Ultimately, the board voted to make masks mandatory in all DCS schools. The decision will be revisited in four weeks.

Immediately, upon entering this meeting, tension amongst those in attendance was evident and prevalent. Many in the crowd clung tightly to American flags. Others, yielding poster board signs, made demands to keep masks optional.

Superintendent Dr. Emily Lipe addressed the school board and attendees to explain current COVID-19 protocols, close contact quarantine determinations, and share visual flowcharts and data worksheets.. At the end of last week, 58 students were identified as testing positive and 398 were identified as close contacts .

Principals at each school initiated steps to trace, identify, and interview the 398 close contacts. This resulted in 375 students, in five days, being required to quarantine. Among staff, 31 employees were confirmed positive, which resulted in 18 staff members being quarantined.

In addition to last week's data, Lipe shared the latest update. Out of 17 schools, 36 new positive student cases resulted in 279 close contacts, as of Monday. The final number of required students to be quarantined is not known.

Previously, it was stated there would be no public comments at the meeting. After her presentation, Lipe said, “I am happy to answer any questions you have about the quarantine, or the identifying close contacts process. I do want to let you know that our principals have spent an enormous amount of time to make sure this process is done appropriately.”

Promptly, hands from the crowd were raised. One attendee asked for a more detailed explanation of what it looked like for the principals to conduct contact tracings on a daily basis. Lipe detailed the time consuming identification process. She noted how one administrator shared that out of their 10-12 hour day their entire day, minus approximately 40 minutes, was spent solely on contact tracing .

Lipe explained these guidelines were all set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Strong Schools Toolkit”, and the NC Department of Health and Human Services. She assured the school board had no leeway in whether or not to adhere to those guidelines. From the crowd, someone demanded to know, “why not?” as others chimed in to inquire as well. The man who asked the initial question was asked to stand. He was told goodbye by chairperson Alan Beck and advised the meeting wasn’t open for discussion.

The crowd loudly erupted as the man shouted he was being denied his First Amendment right and was escorted out of the meeting by a Davidson County sheriff deputy. Beck attempted to calm the hostile crowd by stating, “The reason you cannot speak tonight is this is a special called meeting. There is no part of this open for comments. If you would like to leave, you can leave now.”

Voices were raging, attempting to remind the board Lipe had stated she would happily answer any questions they had. Beck continued, “We’re not raising hands or tolerating a discussion. You have to offer public comment at least once a month at a regularly scheduled board meeting. This isn’t a regularly scheduled board meeting. This is a called meeting, therefore there is no provision that you have to allow public commenting. With that in mind, no public comments and no questions and answers. The board has the authority to set rules and regulations for maintaining the order and decorum. If the meeting is being disrupted, it’s the board's right to ask members to leave if they cannot come to compliance and allow the meeting to take place.”

*Board Member, Neal Motsinger, and Vice-Chairperson, Kristie Bonnett. {Brooke Maners/Davidson Local}*

After some additional frustrated chatter from the crowd, board members continued to address protocols. Lipe stated there were shortages in the schools. Due to quarantine protocols, some of the principals and assistant principals were currently covering classes.

Concerning the previous decision made on August 2 for optional masking in schools Beck offered, “I was all for it, and I still don't like wearing a mask myself. We made that choice and we got ourselves in a situation. We own it, we own that we did that, and we own that we still have that choice.” He continued to discuss how neither students nor teachers want to do remote learning again because most children didn't learn anything.

Board member Christy Jones agreed “I want them in school. If that means we have to do something different then we have to do something different. I am an educator first and a mom. I was in the school system and I know the kids need to be face to face especially if they are younger. They need face to face, and they know their teachers are there for them and they know they have support. We need to make sure our kids can stay face to face. Because, last year, the A/B day, the remote day, didn't work for everybody. Not all students are self-starters, and the vast majority of students don’t have someone at home to help them. Whatever we decide tonight I know it’s best for the children, staff, and families.”

Kristie Bonnett, vice-chairperson said, “I think we all want some degree of normalcy for our students, I’m concerned. We have something in our control to try and give them that.” She expressed her concerns for athletes, seniors, graduation, the sixth graders and freshman for new beginnings, and the decline of students' educations by having to quarantine.

Additionally, board member Ashley Carroll, noted she had recently seen a chalkboard outside of Appalachian State University with a message pertaining to masks in school. After offering “Pardon my French” she shared the quote on the chalkboard, “Things that suck, masks, and I think we can all agree. Underneath that it read, things that don't suck, in-person instruction, and I think we can all agree to that, too. This isn’t about science. This isn't about whether masks work or don't work. This is about an operational issue with our school system.”

*A large contingent of those in attendance carried American flags. {Brooke Maners/Davidson Local}*

A meeting attendee is escorted out of the school. {Brooke Maners/Davidson Local} — A meeting attendee is escorted out of the school. *{Brooke Maners/Davidson Local}*

Attendees exploded after her comment, shouting as board members attempted to regain control, and in unison began to chant, “No more masks, no more masks!” Board member Neal Motsinger said, “I think we as board members have to remember that our number one priority is to see that all students receive a quality education. We’re not here to debate the issue of whether masks are good, bad, prevent disease or don't prevent disease.” The crowd reacted saying, “That’s the reason we’re here! What’s the point in putting them on? What are we doing here? What's the point of this meeting?”

Motsinger addressed Beck saying, “Mr. Chairman, if they can’t be quiet, let's send them out!” This seemingly added more fuel to the fire causing the room to ignite with emotion. More attendees were escorted out.

“We didn't make the quarantine rules,” Motsinger continued. “Unfortunately, we have to play by the rules we receive.” More protesting from the crowd commenced. Carroll said, “ I think the protestors are in the wrong place. I think the protests need to be in Raleigh, not in Davidson County.” Beck chimed in with, “We can finish this in here, or we can leave y'all in here and go back there and make a decision.”

Bonnett attempted to explain why something different must be done due to the numbers of students and staff currently out of school. She expressed that with the current circumstances and mandates they are failing students, and are risking shutdowns with schools, sports, and all other extracurricular activities.

“I don't like masks,” said Bonnett. “I don't like my own kids in masks and they're in the public school system but being out of school is worse than the alternative. Ensuring that we’re providing an education and supporting our staff in doing so is what our priority needs to be, and is to this school board. For that reason, I make a motion to make masks mandated with the stipulation that we continue to reevaluate this at every board meeting.” The crowd, as expected, wasn’t happy and the comments were booming. Chants of “No more masks, no more masks, no more masks,” began again.

After a brief chat with a deputy sheriff, Beck announced, “There's been a motion made. Do we have a second?” The crowd exploded in disapproval. Motsinger made an amendment to the motion above the outrage in the room, to revisit the decision in four weeks. Members of the board unanimously voted for making masks mandatory effective Tuesday August 24. With that, Beck announced, “5-0” meaning the board had unanimously reached uts decision and closed the session. Although the room was clearing out, shouting from the halls in objection continued.

After the meeting, Davidson Local’s own youth correspondent, Riley Elliot, offered her opinion as a student at Central Davidson Middle School. “Honestly, it sucks wearing a mask, but I would rather wear a mask and be in school, play sports, and hang out with my friends than be sitting in front of a computer all day.”

Beck, and Jones agreed to give a statement regarding their vote to mandate masks.

Beck said he understands no one likes having to wear a mask, including himself. He stated that he stands by his decision made at the beginning of the year for masks to be optional. However, based on what is currently happening with COVID numbers he feels like the new decision to mandate masks is the right thing to do at this time. His priority is to keep students and staff protected and everyone in schools face to face. That's why he voted for this change.

Jones offered, “As a former educator, kids need in-person instruction. This is not a political issue. If this were a political issue, we wouldn’t have been here tonight at all, and there wouldn't have been a vote necessary. As a parent, a former educator, and an advocate for children and families, we did what was best for tonight. A few weeks ago, we did what was best at the time. Tonight, we had to change that. In four weeks, we’ll look at it again. If it’s different, we'll go back to masks optional. I don't like masks. I'm not wearing a mask, but I am vaccinated. That for me, is what I chose to do. My child is not old enough to be vaccinated but I'm not sure I would vaccinate a child. At the same time, we did what was best for children tonight.”