OLIVESBURG — The Crestview board of education passed a controversial resolution Monday night regarding face coverings.
A copy of the resolution was not immediately available, but superintendent Randy Dunlap said the gist is that Crestview Schools will continue masking until health orders are lifted on June 2, then re-evaluate its policy before the start of the next school year.
“At that point (June 2), we will neither mandate nor prohibit the wearing of masks in our district, at our district events, on our district transportation,” Dunlap said. “Before Aug. 31, the board will revisit that if there’s additional information or knowledge that comes forward.”
Numerous community members expressed frustration with the district’s face-mask policy. Some complained their children had been punished or lost class time for breaking masking rules.
Some asked an immediate end to the mask mandate, as well as a promise from the board that there would be no vaccine mandate for students.
“This board works for you. We pay taxes. You work for us. I’m not asking, I’m demanding that these mask mandates stop,” said Jeff Friges.
Abigail Friges called the mask mandate “reckless behavior” because no one knows the long-term effects of extending masking. She shared that her son has asked for mask breaks after experiencing headaches and dizziness and been denied. She also said he’d served multiple detentions and missed class time due to breaking masking rules.
Katie Cairns, a nurse and mother, said her older daughter has suffered panic attacks at school and can’t catch her breath while wearing a mask. She said she worried for younger children with undiagnosed asthma and underlying anxiety.
“These kids that are being punished for trying to sneak a breath of fresh air — it’s got to stop,” she said.
Amy Callahan said she supported mask breaks for students, but asked fellow community members to consider the other side of the masking issue. Callahan said her son has been enrolled in online school for the entire school year because he has asthma and is scared of contracting the virus.
“I hear what you’re saying and I understand where you’re coming from,” Callahan said. “I’m just trying to give you guys a peak of what other kids may be going through. Masking protects the person that you’re around. Not just yourself.”
“That’s false,” Jeff Friges and other audience members interrupted.
Jessica Tucker said she didn’t care if the mask mandate remained in place for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year. She was more concerned with class sizes and staffing at the elementary school.
“What does the elementary look like next year considering Title teachers were pulled to be regular teachers?” she asked.
Tucker stated that her child was in a kindergarten class with 25 students.
“Please keep our class sizes small,” she pleaded. “We can afford our teachers. They’re not asking for much.”
Board Vice President Debbie Reidy thanked the audience for voicing their concerns, but said the board would not revisit masking policies for the current school year.
“We aren’t going to agree on everything,” Reidy said. “We’re almost finished with this school year, thank God. We’re really not going to look at changes for two weeks. We have not made decisions for next year about masking — no decisions.”
Reidy also addressed Tucker’s concerns about teachers.
“From what I can understand, we’re looking at putting Title teachers back in those positions,” she said.
Dunlap said he would follow up with administrators about the concerns of students losing recess time or not getting adequate mask breaks. He also stated that regular mask breaks outdoors have been part of the district’s policy this school year.
“I meet with my administrators regularly and we talk about what’s going on with the masking,” he said. “We give regular mask breaks. With the weather changing, I get outside a lot and I see tons of kids outside with breaks.”
