BIC allows Covid sick days

Buffalo Island Central school board met Thursday evening to prepare for school starting Aug. 18.

Superintendent Gaylon Taylor addressed how the district would address employees who miss because of Covid for the 2021-2022 school year.

The board passed a resolution that all employees, vaccinated or not vaccinated, will be allowed eight Covid sick days, and if longer, employees will need to use their personal sick days.

“We have two principals out at this time with Covid,” Taylor said. “There was talk about employees working from home. If you are home, you are home, and not working from home. If they are home, they need to take care of Covid. We plan to teach students while they are in their seats,” he said. “Last year the law was that schools couldn’t mandate mask wearing during the outbreak of Covid,” Taylor said. “Now that has changed. It leaves us wondering what to do. There are no sure solutions. The judge says we have to be able to provide safety for children. Students can get vaccinated from 7-12 grades, but elementary cannot.”

“This may be the biggest decision you have ever made,” he said. “We need a policy that will help protect our kids and give our parents a peace of mind that we are doing everything in our power to protect their kids. We have done away with virtual instruction, so we have to protect them, if possible.”

He polled the board to see how they felt about mask mandates.

“I have looked at the numbers nationwide,” Jason Stewart said. “The virus may be more contagious but not more deadly. Children are less receptive to the virus. Mask mandates didn’t work. They are not magic.”

Todd Edwards referred to Missouri with no mask mandates.

“I understand concerns, but a mask is not going to stop it,” Edwards said. “It is a no-win situation. “

“I’ll be honest, it scares me for us not to do something,” Stacey Thomas said. “No one likes masks or being told what to do. But I don’t want us to think we could have done something more.”

“We have done everything in our power to protect every student and faculty member,” Taylor said. “This is our children’s health. It is hard to separate 6 feet like last year. The kids ate in their classrooms, when they need to get out some.”

“Eighty percent of the people I have talked to don’t want it (wearing masks),” Justin Hawkins said. “This should be a decision for parents, child, student or teacher. This is a personal decision, with personal responsibility.”

“A mask protects others more than you, from the medical side,” Taylor said.

“We don’t need to mandate parents and teachers in this,” Scott Colbert said.

“It is not our place to mandate masks,” Eric Lyerly said. “Surgical masks can be provided at every entrance, for those who want a mask.”

“Teachers in elementary are concerned for their kids, about 60-40 want masks,” Taylor said. “The high school is split and lean the other way against masks. Should we make mask mandatory for K-6 or make masks an option?”

Taylor read a letter from Donn Mixon concerning Parental Choice for student mask-out forms. Mixon’s sample form letter stated that Gov. Asa Hutchinson had declared Arkansas to be in the state of a public health emergency due to a surge of cases of Delta variant of Covid-19, and that hospital ICU beds are at capacity or near capacity. On Aug. 3, 2021, the Arkansas Legislature voted to approve the Governor’s public health emergency. Masks have been proven to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 and are a necessary tool for protecting those not yet eligible for vaccination.

The BIC board passed a 5-1 mask guidance policy allowing a mask option of choice, rather than mask mandate, for students and employees. They will continue screening for temperature and other Covid-19 symptoms upon entrance into the building. Surgical masks will be made available. A mask mandate will not be created. The board reserves the right to revisit the policy at any time in the future.

“I like what the sample does, buy not what it says,” Hawkins said.

“Most larger schools have gone to the mask mandate, where smaller schools have not,” said Taylor.

In other business:

* Taylor met with his administration team this week. Elementary concerns were absentees, test practice, amounts of screen time, stress level, mental health, frequent changes, teacher/student time, morale, rewards, time out of class for PLC, and no virtual. Concerns for high school include screen time, lack of reading/books, cheating, absentees, lack of clear deadlines, PLT out of class, no virtual, limit tech/more paper books, rewards, semester test and incentives.

Randy Rose and Nicole Stewart have been assigned to develop a Plan of Action by Labor Day, for elementary, and Mark Hurst and Kima Stewart have been assigned to be program providers for K-12. Hurst will be in charge of 7th and 8th grade program to build a bridge between for 6th graders who are coming up.

* The board went into executive session to talk about hiring but reconvened without making a decision.

* The board heard a report from Superintendent Taylor, who had talked to School Attorney Donn Mixon about where BIC will stand with district lines, using demographic data guidelines.

*The board gave special recognition and appreciation to Adams Land Company for their donation of dirt and chat, that was delivered to the elementary campus. A special thank you to Eddie Adams and Jackie Decker for making this happen.

*The board said thank you to the Marlyn Looney estate for their donation to the elementary EAST Program. Mrs. Looney was always impressed with the school’s EAST Program and wanted to help establish something for the younger students.