Parent objects to Union Local COVID-19 sports policy
Classes canceled the Monday after Thanksgiving
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BELMONT -- The Union Local Board of Education heard from parents and students Thursday about the impact of COVID-19 on district policies, with very few finding the situation satisfactory.
Board member Ed Stenger said comments and questions would be restricted to three minutes and guests would be civil.
Arguments at prior school board meetings have been contentious, with parents and some staff objecting to mask mandates as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectors have argued that masking is disruptive and harmful to students. School board members have said continuing in-person learning is the priority.
"This is not a debate. This is not a discussion. Three minutes, you'll get your question asked and we'll decide if we're going to answer or if we're going to move on," Stenger said. "We've been abused. We've been called child neglectors. That's not happening anymore. ... It's almost harassment on the opposite side, and I'm not putting up with it."
The board heard from Christine Butkus of Belmont, who objected to the board's Mask to Play, Test to Stay policy adopted during the October meeting. While mask mandates have been lifted, the board is following Ohio Department of Health guidelines. There are also requirements for athletics and other extracurricular activities. Close contacts of an infected individual must wear a mask and undergo testing.
Christine Butkus said the policy should be followed as written by the ODH. She said afterward that she believes repeated testing can have negative health consequences.
"This policy adopted required my son, if considered a close contact, test multiple times to be released from the quarantine process to resume participation in the sport. Our family, including my son, decided to opt out of this policy. My son is currently not in a sport since this policy went into effect," she said during the meeting.
Butkus said the policy was explained to parents at a public event on Nov. 1 with the word "or" after each bulleted requirement, implying options are available to choose.
Zac Shutler, interim superintendent, asked her to compare today to the more restrictive situation last year.
"We had schools that were shut down. We had sports that were canceled," Shutler said. "Families do have many more options than they had a year ago. ... Sports would be shut down and seasons would be canceled. You do have the option that you can quarantine and not test, we can do that. If you want to test and play and not miss any time, you can do that. ... There are many more options than there used to be."
"There are no options," her husband, Michael Butkus, said, adding that a close contact must be tested within 24 hours and test again five to seven days after every exposure. "You guys chose not to modify the policy. The policy as-stated in ODH, the bullet points, in nowhere does it say 'or'."
He also objected to frequent testing.
"I do not want him tested every time he has an exposure. You guys are either going to follow the policy, or you're going to throw it out and modify it. You can't say 'or,' Mr. Shutler, because it's not an 'or.'"
"When accusations are made against people, it comes to a point where your attorney needs to contact our attorney and handle it that way. You can't just make accusations against people," Shutler said. "Once the accusations are made, you can't take them back. They've been made. From this point forward, your attorney will contact our attorney."
"What accusations did I make?" Michael Butkus said.
"I don't need to respond to you," Shutler said.
Afterward, Shutler said he would not comment further, but he said the alleged accusation against the board of education was not made at Thursday's meeting and no legal proceedings are ongoing.
Meanwhile, senior Alleigh Cheathan of Belmont, a member of the Principal's Student Council, asked the board to consider giving students and staff the entire week of Thanksgiving off, Nov. 22-26. She said several other communities across the country have done so in the interest of promoting mental health and to allow a greater chance to rest and recover from the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said 348 students have signed a petition seeking the change.
Cheathan also said there has been a shortage of substitute teachers, which has resulted in many instances in which a teacher has called off and students have had multiple study halls instead of class time.
"We're not really learning, and I think we'll have time to catch up," she said. "This school year has been challenging as we transition back to five days a week in-person learning for the first time in 18 months. ... I think COVID has had a big impact on our school. We have a lot of people quarantined and the football team all having to wear masks and the basketball team all having to wear masks."
The board addressed this after a closed-door session. Classes were canceled for the Monday after Thanksgiving.
The board meeting and the football banquet in the neighboring gym were also briefly disrupted by a fire alarm, caused by a heat sensor in the art room. Apparently an art teacher was heating clay in a kiln and set off the alarm.