Fatima R-3 school board extends mask mandate

Health department denies alternative plan presented by board members

By Edward Gehlert, Staff Writer
Posted 9/23/21

Fatima school board members at last Wednesday’s meeting voted 5-2 in favor of extending the mask mandate that had been implemented during a special meeting of the board on Sept. 1 and put into …

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Fatima R-3 school board extends mask mandate

Health department denies alternative plan presented by board members

Posted

Fatima school board members at last Wednesday’s meeting voted 5-2 in favor of extending the mask mandate that had been implemented during a special meeting of the board on Sept. 1 and put into effect on Sept. 2. 

Board members Suzanne Massman, Matt Robertson, and Keith Huhn, along with Superintendent Chuck Woody, attended a County Commission meeting to speak with the Osage County Health Department on Sept. 14 to offer alternative plans to imposing what the Osage County Health Department recommends. 

Osage County Health Department (OCHD) Administrator Kim Sallin did not approve of the alternative plan.

“We brought a plan we thought looked like a great plan,” said Massman. “It did not consist of wearing masks constantly. We sent that to (Kim) last Friday. I asked her at the meeting if she had a chance to look at it and she said yes.”

“Two big points to me came out of the meeting,” Huhn said. “She said it was up to the Fatima school board to implement policies they want to implement; however she will not approve our policy and she will quarantine kids based on her policy not about our policy. We can determine not to quarantine, but she can still quarantine kids because it’s the county health department’s decision.”

“Which will override us,” added Massman.

“She is following the state health director’s guidelines,” said Huhn. “It’s not her guidelines. That is what she is enforcing. Other counties are not doing that; we know that, and she knows that.”

“She knew that other counties very close to us are not following the state guidelines and she said she has no control over what they’re doing but I have control over what I’m doing and I’m going to follow those guidelines,” said Massman.

Woody said he made a call to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and talked to the area supervisor. Woody was told that the state commissioner is aware that some districts are not following their county health department guidelines and they have been in contact with those other counties. 

“I was led to believe that they are going to get closer to doing what Osage County is doing,” said Woody. “A second phone call with the area supervisor led to a call with our school attorney.”

Fatima’s attorney advised that the district should not go against the county health department.

The issue of continuing with a mask mandate when social distancing is not possible during school hours was passed with Andy Samson, Jeff Winkelman, Massman, Doug Luebbering, and Matt Robertson in favor of the extension, and Kieth Huhn, and Coby Holzschuh voting against it.

In other business, Fatima Teachers Association (FTA) spokeswoman Erica Libbert reported the group has been reformed.  

“Our FTA has been reestablished,” said Libbert. “What we would like to do is attend more meetings. We have teachers that are going to be attending every meeting.”

Libbert asked if the board could change its closed sessions, as R-3 begins the meeting in open session but immediately goes into closed session, the length of which varies month to month.

“We have a question and we also think it might be beneficial to the community,” Libbert said. “Is there any way we can flip-flop our open and closed sessions? We were here at 7 (p.m.) but we waited until a little after 8 (p.m.) to be able to come into the meeting. This is just to value our time and our community’s time. To be able to come in to speak or to listen about what is going on at our school.”

Libbert said she had done some research last spring and found that six other districts are all conducting open session first and then going into closed session.

Libbert told the board that many teachers are already at the school early and staying late doing extracurricular activities with students.

“To be here at 7 and we may not even get into the meeting until 8:30 and we not being able to get home until after 10. Just to consider it,” said Libbert. “I think this also would take into consideration our community’s time for those who wish to attend.”

The board agreed to discuss the option at next month’s meeting. 

* Kary Brunnert was hired as the junior high girls’ basketball coach and Todd Eichholz will be the assistant coach.

* Board members approved the formation of a Bass Fishing Club at no cost to the school.

* Students will get a bus safety refresher during their PE classes and teacher Stephanie Laux and the STRIVE (gifted) students will create a video for fellow students to watch.

* Each grade level celebrated an end-of-the-year event.

* Grandparents Day is tabled for now and will be discussed next month.

* PTO has canceled the carnival again this year due to COVID.

* Board members raised the limit on the school’s Wal-Mart credit card from $5,000 to $7,500.

* Staff surveys were finalized.

* Bills were approved totaling $157,093.22.

REPORTS

Superintendent Chuck Woody informed board members that the district would be doing its own Professional Development (PD) at Fatima on Oct. 11. Woody also asked the board if they were okay with the district proceeding with an open house.

“Even though it’s a way off, we need to start planning for it now,” said Woody. “It’s usually at the tail end of November, first part of December.”

The board agreed planning should be started.

High School Principal Sharyl Kelsch informed the board she is starting monthly department meetings and they are talking a lot about curriculums.

* Kelsch told the board she has completed a walk-through or informative evaluation on every teacher of her staff except one. 

* This year, teachers will be offering compliments to students. “When we have students going above and beyond this gives teachers a chance to recognize students,” said Kelsch. “Teachers write the compliments and send it to me. I call the student down to the office and tell them what it’s for. I take a picture of them and we put it up on Facebook and I send an email to their parents so they have a copy of it as well.”

* Kelsch also told the board there are issues with vaping at the high school and she is looking into purchasing vape detectors for the bathrooms. These detectors will send an alert to the office where they can review security footage to see who was going into and out of the restrooms during the time of the alert.

* Current enrollment was reported at 509 students.

Athletic Director Matt Verslues stated that Coach Justin Bridges is going to be inducted into the Missouri Track And Cross Country Coaches Hall Of Fame. 

Elementary School Principal Mellissa Wright Wright told the board she is performing walk-through evaluations of her teachers and is getting ready to start performance evaluations.

* Current enrollment was reported at 257 students.

Curriculum Coordinator Janah Massman announced that Parents as Teachers parent educator Cathy Borgmeyer has retired after serving since 1994. Veronica Nilges was hired as Borgmeyer’s replacement.

* Massman stated the PAT is doing in-home visits and that if parents need enrollment information they can reach out to the school and they would be put in contact with staff that can help them.

* Title I screening should be finished soon, Massman said, adding staff had an influx of additional students to be screened this year. Massman told the board she was working on documents for vertical alignment and also on documents for teachers to work on during the Oct. 11 PD day.

Special Education Director Kristie Scrivner informed the board that the district’s special services enrollment was 504 and that they had 101 Individualized Education Plans (IEP). 

* Scrivener noted that her department has been doing some professional development, something in which the staff had been interested.

* Scrivener also said that her department has given teachers some additional SpedTrack training, which is the program that all of their IEP and final reports are recorded.

* Lisa Day from Rolla will be at the school on Oct. 11 and Oct. 28 to help convert IEPs and make sure all goals are smart goals.

* Ten students will participate in a Special Olympics event in South Calloway County on Oct. 13.

* Board members approved the SPED Compliance plan as written by DESE.

* The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.