T-L Photo/KIM NORTH BRIDGEPORT BOARD of Education members Karrie Puskas, left, and Patrick McConnaughy attend their first meeting Wednesday night after being elected in November.

BRIDGEPORT — The Bridgeport Exempted Village School District Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to extend the district’s temporary mask mandate until Feb. 16.

The number of COVID-19 cases is rapidly increasing, not only nationally but locally as well.

The prompted the board to vote 5-0 in favor of the extension during the first regular monthly meeting of 2022.

“There is an uptick of cases in Belmont County. We had five today – four in the middle school and one in the elementary school,” Superintendent Brent Ripley said. “They trickle in day-to-day, but we really do believe the masks slow down transmission of the coronavirus.

“We are still promoting the vaccination clinics,” he added. “If anyone wants to schedule a time, please call the school and we will get one scheduled for you. It’s best for the kids. It’s just not right to stop the mask mandate just yet.”

The mandate is effective for all students, faculty and visitors in the pre-K through 12th grade building during instructional hours, Ripley said. Medical exemptions from physicians will be honored, and the board will reevaluate the issue at its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 16 in the board office.

Prior to the regular monthly meeting, a reorganizational meeting was held where new board members Karrie Puskas and Patrick McConnaughy were sworn in by district Treasurer Eric Meininger. Puskas and McConnaughy, along with veteran board member Don Cash, were elected in November.

“They are all in for Bridgeport. They are all graduates of Bridgeport and very positive individuals,” Ripley said of Puskas, McConnaughy and Cash. “They have the best of intentions for the school district, and they are a great fit for our school district.”

During the meeting, Kori Rosnick was elected as board of education president, while veteran board member Jerry Moore will serve as the vice president.

“Kori is Mrs. Positivity. She keeps things fresh for us, and she is good at bouncing ideas back and forth with me,” Ripley continued. “She is a great communicator.”

Rosnick said she’s honored to be the board president.

“I want to continue the momentum that we’ve built up. The district is in a good place right now,” Rosnick said. “We want to continue the momentum.”

McConnaughy and Puskas are glad to be on board.

“I want to feel my way around the role first,” McConnaughy said. “As for goals, I want to run with the platform that I did with the community, which is honesty, integrity and transparency.”

“As a parent, being on the board is an honor as my kids attend Bridgeport schools,” Puskas said. “I want to build on what the previous boards have done, and I want to see more transparency in the district. I also want to get more kids involved in sports, not just playing them, but attending the events, as well.”