Armorel board approves Covid protocols

Monday night, the Armorel School Board approved its Ready for Learning plan, which details COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming school year.

Following CDC guidelines, the district is encouraging students 12 and over and staff to be vaccinated and recommends everyone wear masks and social distance.

“Fully-vaccinated students or staff do not need to quarantine if deemed close contacts, unless they have/develop symptoms,” the plan reads.

“We highly recommend that every staff member and student K-12 wear a mask while on campus,” the plan says.

Masks are recommended on the bus, but students will not be required to wear one. The plan says mask use is recommended indoors for those who are not fully vaccinated; outdoors, unvaccinated people do not need to wear masks except in crowds or activities that involve close contact.

The plan says Armorel Schools will continue to implement social distancing practices and have hand sanitizing stations. The district is asking parents to screen their children before sending them to school. There will not be temperature checks at the school. Armorel Elementary School principal Joey Carr noted only five elementary school students were sent home last year for a fever; the high school had none.

In the morning, students will go directly to their first period class unless eating breakfast in the cafeteria. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m., and students will be dismissed at 2:35 in the elementary and 2:45 in the high school. Onsite instructional hours will begin at 7:45 a.m.

Parents will not be allowed to eat lunch with students, and each child may bring a water bottle daily to fill at the filling stations.

Armorel superintendent Tiffany Morgan called the plan fluid.

Board member Jeff Hopper said he doesn’t understand why those who’ve had Covid are not treated like those vaccinated, and Morgan responded the vaccine provides more antibodies than the virus.

Hopper brought up a concern that if staff members are quarantined, they have to use sick days or won’t get paid.

“That question was asked today,” Morgan said. “Again, the expectation is that there are vaccinations and people need to be vaccinated. If they are vaccinated, then they don’t have to quarantine if they’ve been exposed. Or diligently wear the masks and social distance.”

Hopper noted there may be cases where someone doesn’t want to get the vaccine such as if they are pregnant or have a compromised immune system.

Wearing masks properly and social distancing are recommended, Morgan said.

“That puts it in their hands,” Hopper said. “They have a way out. They don’t have to be put in a position to where they have to get quarantined and not get paid.”

Morgan said, as the 2020-21 school year progressed, the district improved with social distancing and saw fewer numbers quarantine later in the year compared to early.

“I know we can’t make them do anything; I understand that,”Armorel School Board president Scott Jowers said. “What avenue do we have of restraining some people if they refuse to get a vaccine, if they refuse to wear a mask, if they refuse everything. We’re not fighting rules here, we’re not pushing these on them, we’re more worried about the other people. Do we have a fight?”

“I don’t think we need to keep it a secret that we’re picking them out if they get even close that, that we’re picking them out to be quarantined because we’re scared of it,” Jowers added.

Morgan said the state supports districts holding students and staff accountable.

“It’s alright the way they’re doing it,” Hopper said. “It puts the responsibility (on the individual). They have a choice to say, ‘I can stay away, I can social distance. I can wear masks, and I don’t have to put myself in a spot where I have to use sick days, and I’m not getting paid.’ They can make their own responsible decision on what they’re going to do.”

Morgan applauded staff for their efforts last year in handling the pandemic.

“I heard nightmare stories from other school districts about staff members who took advantage of the Covid leave,” she said. “I’m here to tell you today that the staff that you have did not take advantage. We had to fight them to stay at home. We didn’t have people begging, ‘can I please work from home.’ We had fearful staff members; they were scared. But they were cautious. They didn’t ask to stay at home; we didn’t have that.”

Meanwhile, the board agreed to allow Morgan to submit a digital learning plan for the elementary if necessary; it previously approved a digital learning plan for the high school.

Morgan said for those without a digital learning plan, there have been mixed reports regarding using the 10 AMI days when pivoting to digital learning, noting it is unclear if they would have to make up days beyond the allotted AMI days.

Also Monday night, the board heard reports from Morgan, Carr and high school principal Tony Crowell.

Morgan said the district transferred $2,074,000 into the net legal balance as required by law.

She said she received an estimate for a potential commons area renovation, which was higher than anticipated.

The 15X15 room would provide a safe room at the high school. Jowers suggested providing contractors with a detailed floor plan, show them what the school wants done, and get estimates. He said the job should cost under $100,000.

In his report, Carr noted shelves have been installed in third and fourth grade classrooms, allowing more room for social distancing.

Crowell reported high school enrollment is up 18 percent, and he explained some changes to the handbook, which were later approved by the board.

In other news, the board approved the resignation of paraprofessional Alicia Ross and the hiring of cafeteria workers Debbie Rainey and Stephanie Michel and assistant baseball coach Mike Welch.

The board also approved a resolution that lists employees who have had a five percent salary increase, as required by law.

It agreed to increase the health insurance contribution rate from $164.66 to $168.52 beginning in January.