Mid-Prairie board votes to continue face covering mandate

Students and staff at Mid-Prairie schools must continue wearing face coverings.

The Mid-Prairie school board voted Monday night to continue the district's mandate for face coverings while in district buildings and vehicles, with several exceptions.

'I'm not willing to vote in favor of straight mandates,” board Vice President Jeremy Pickard said. 'I would like to see some exceptions.”

The exceptions the board agreed to include:

' When proper social distancing of six feet, as determined by administrators and teachers, can be maintained.

' Physical education and band classes.

' Any class with a safety concern, like welding.

' When a doctor's note is provided for medical reasons.

' For students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) as determined by the IEP team.

The mandate also calls for mask breaks at least every two hours, which can be done indoors when being outside is not possible.

The district will continue to allow mask alternatives, such as gaiters and face shields.

Board members chose to continue to allow gaiters and face shields despite recent guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health saying students or staff who come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 would not be required to quarantine if both the contact and the positive-testing individual were properly wearing a face mask. Gaiters and shields were excluded from that exemption.

Board members expressed their desire to keep quarantine numbers down but worried about students with anxiety or speech issues being required to wear masks.

'To say masks are the only way puts a whole group of students in a position where they have less opportunity to learn,” board member Jeremy Gugel said.

Board member Denise Chittick said she felt the decision on what type of face covering to wear should be left up to families, but making them aware of the state's rules regarding quarantines.

There was also a lengthy discussion regarding whether to extend the mandate to spectators at indoor sports, with basketball season set to begin next month.

Currently, volleyball spectators are required to wear face coverings, but that mandate is not being enforced.

'I'd say it's about 50/50,” Superintendent Mark Schneider said. 'To be honest, the visitors do better than the home.”

Board member Gabrielle Frederick argued that the extension of the face covering mandate include spectators at indoor events at the school.

'We hold kids ages 4-18 accountable for wearing masks but not adults?” Frederick asked. 'I don't like the idea of saying ‘oh, it's going to happen.'”

Gugel said that while he was prepared to 'put it on paper,” he was not prepared to escort anyone out of the building for non-compliance.

'If they don't want to listen to instruction, they're showing their true character,” he said.

Ultimately, the issue was not included in the motion made by Pickard.

In making the motion, Pickard said he would like the district to come up with metrics that will help the board determine when to lift the mandate.

The motion passed 4-2, with Frederick and Mary Allred voting against it.