Polk County School Board nixes mask mandate policy, selects new chairman
LAKELAND – The Polk County School Board tackled a number of topics Tuesday, including choosing a new chairman and vice-chairman, rescinding a board policy that would allow them to invoke a mask mandate during a pandemic, providing raises for non-union staff, and announcing the rollout of a new telehealth system that includes mental health counseling.
Sara Beth Wyatt, who married last month and changed her last name, was elected by her peers as chairman, while Lisa Miller was elected vice-chairman. Wyatt, 29, is one of the youngest School Board chairmen in Polk County history.
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At Tuesday evening’s meeting, the board considered removing the mask mandate policy for students. The policy allows for the superintendent or the School Board to opt for a mask mandate and to punish students who don’t adhere to it. However, during a state of emergency, a superintendent or a majority of the School Board can require masks without a policy.
But that would defy an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who demanded that school districts not force students or staff to wear cloth coverings to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
School Board member Lori Cunningham, who in August called masks stupid and said they don’t work, reiterated that position Tuesday.
“We live in a beautiful United States of America -- land of the free and the brave -- and I will never vote to mask a student, a teacher, a child, a grandparent, anyone that works for us,” Cunningham said. “However, I respect a family that may be immuno-compromised and if a family chooses to wear a mask or a child that comes to school is masked, I think that is totally acceptable and I respect your choice to do so. I just don't want anyone to tell me or my family how I should live my life and whether or not I should.”
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Cunningham said there were studies saying masks are bad and ones saying they are good.
“It's a world that we live in and as someone said tonight, it's unfortunate that we are being divisive instead of standing together as this beautiful United States of America that we're so blessed to live in,” she said.
School Board member Lynn Wilson has said in the past that he is unsure of the efficacy of masks.
"I think that there's a better option in handling another surge or variant not talked about,” Wilson said. “I'm going to continue to talk about this - I think we need a virtual option at some point in time, should we have another surge and even if the state isn't willing to support us in that matter, I'm hoping that, as a board, we can agree to implement that and find money locally to pursue that option should we have another surge.
Studies show more COVID-19 cases in areas without school masking
Public comment came from people for and against removing the mask mandate.
Lake Wales resident Danny Kueger, a member of County Citizens Defending Freedom, said he had provided the School Board with 47 studies confirming that masks have zero effect on the prevention or spread of COVID and 32 more studies confirming that masks actually may have a detrimental effect on the psychological and physiological effect on children. He also cited a Twitter post that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they were ineffective.
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However, the CDC’s website links to multiple studies showing masks work.
Several studies show more COVID-19 cases in areas without school masking policies
“During the two weeks following the start of school, the average change in pediatric COVID-19 case rates was lower among counties with school mask requirements (16.32 cases per 100,000 people each day) compared with counties without school mask requirements (34.85 cases per 100,000 people each day),” one study shows. “This highlights the impact that universal masking policies can have on the communities that surround these school districts, as the impact of the policies can reduce the burden on the health care systems that support these school districts.”
The CDC states on its website that that these studies “continue to demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of CDC’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools to help districts ensure safer in-person learning and stop the spread of COVID-19. Promoting vaccination of eligible persons, mask wearing, and screening testing are all proven methods to continue to work towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Jim Taggett said mask mandates are “forcing these kids to protect people from diseases that they don't have. The kids don't get it the kids don't get this disease...it doesn't affect them.”
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On September 17, Timothy Boynton, Lakeland Regional Health vice president of development and chief public relations and communications officer, said the hospital had five pediatric patients with COVID-19, two of whom were in intensive care.
"We encourage those 12 and older to get the COVID-19 vaccine and for all children to wear masks when they are indoors for their own safety and to prevent the spread of infection to others around them and to their family,” Boynton told The Ledger.
Former teacher Jennifer Teknipp said she refuses to go back into a classroom and “indoctrinate people to be sheep to just obey and follow.” She said history is repeating itself.
"These masks that you're wearing, these are yellow stars,” Teknipp said on the 83rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, when Jewish shops in Germany were systematically destroyed by the Nazi party’s paramilitary forces. Jews were also forced to wear yellow stars, rounded up, and sent to concentration camps throughout Europe, where they were used as forced labor. More than 6 million Jews died under the Nazi regime.
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“I see that you're perfectly, socially distanced, you're following the rules, and as long as we follow the rules right now and we continue to comply, we're going to follow everybody right to the slaughter,” Teknipp said.
Lola Smith, a 10-year-old from Boswell Elementary School who wants to grow up to be president of the United States some day, asked the School Board to keep the masks.
“Every morning as I get ready for school, I put on a mask,” Smith said. “I want to protect my teachers and my classmates. I'm aware that not all of my classmates and teachers will be in masks. I'm aware that they will not choose protecting the way I do I do, that I'm very aware that going to class is risking my health...I do it to ensure this never happens again.”
The board voted unanimously to remove the mandate.
2% salary increase
During an afternoon workshop, Chief of Staff Jason Pitts announced that the district would be giving a 2% cost of living adjustment to professional, technical and non-union employees, including principals, assistant principals, district staff and school administrators, at a cost of $1.3 million. He said the salary increase is one way to attract new teachers to the district.
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"We have approximately 1,000 employees that fall into the non-union, professional-technical, and administrative positions," Pitts said. "This will be the first increase for these employees since 07/01/2018."
School Board member Sarah Fortney said she had already received numerous phone calls and texts, thanking her.
“It’s really about respecting that group of individuals, as well, that they also deserve recognition for the work they’ve done,” Fortney said. “Quite frankly, I want them to stay in Polk County and retain them – not just attract, but retain and pay our people.”
Superintendent Frederick Heid said the salaries are still not where he and many others want them to be because they have been suppressed for so long, but they will be working toward that.
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“I agree 2% is not enough for any group, but it’s a first step and what we hope to do is chip away at this over the next three to five years,” Heid said.
Heid also said they the district will be doing a comprehensive job study so that people are paid for the work they are performing, which might have changed over the years.
Telecounseling now available
Finally, the board discussed a new telehealth program that was announced this week with Hazel Health. It includes telecounseling for students experiencing a mental health crisis.
“Students can immediately speak with a licensed medical professional or mental health clinician from home or in school," district officials said in an email sent to all parents and staff. “This service is now available for all families from home and in schools.”
The program requires parents to opt into it – meaning they have to approve of their child being enrolled. No treatment or over-the-counter medicines will be given without parental consent.
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“During Hazel’s virtual visits, students can receive treatment for common ailments such as stomach aches and headaches, as well as mental health counseling for anxiety, depression and other issues,” the district notice stated. “Hazel services are provided at no charge for all students at this time.”
Superintendent Heid said the district is the third in the state to offer this option.
“Many of our families may not have access to health care when their child initially starts to show symptoms, either because of a financial barrier and or because of a timeliness barrier,” Heid said. “The family may not be able to get an appointment in a timely manner. Being a new resident here in Polk, I can attest to the fact that trying to establish oneself with a new physician is rather difficult and it's a lengthy process and scheduling is really far out.”
Heid added that, even though a family may not consent to treatment during the school day, that does not preclude them from participating in it with Hazel after hours.
“Parents can still call it, can still connect with a virtual physician in real time and still seek services,” Heid said.
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But one parent, Sarah Knappenberger, was alarmed, saying this will lead to mandatory vaccinations for COVID-19.
“I realized that, in most instances, this is probably a very innocent service that you're offering for kids to be able to get health services at school,” said Knappenberger. “My worry as a parent is that, if we're allowing things to happen medically at school, that that could open the door for vaccines to be administered without (permission).”
It is not customary for the superintendent to address public comments during School Board meetings, but he wanted to allay her fears.
“Parents were not only provided with a phone call, they were also provided with an email correspondence that contains links to all of the information as to what is permissible and what is not,” Heid said, noting that only over-the-counter medicine like Tylenol will be given. And parents will be consulted. “There are no injections. The only services, if a family opts in and again you don't have to participate, in school, families have the option to still engage with remote telehealth or teletherapy outside of the school day.”
Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514. Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: No mask mandate, new School Board chairman chosen at Tuesday's meeting
