Smackover-Norphlet board weighs mask mandate in a special called meeting

The Smackover-Norphlet School District was one of several - specifically the Junction City and Parkers Chapel School Districts - that decided to begin the 2021/2022 school year without a COVID-19 mask mandate in place.

Decisions concerning mask mandates faced school districts across the state earlier this month when a Pulaski County circuit judge temporarily struck down the state’s ability to enforce Act 1002, which bans state facilities from imposing mask mandates.

The El Dorado School Board narrowly voted just before the beginning of the semester to mandate masks, while the Parkers Chapel School District decided last week to temporarily mandate masks as well after a spike in COVID-19 cases. The Strong-Huttig School District began the year with a mask mandate in place while the Junction City School District elected to take an approach that allows staff members to mandate masks for students at the discretion of their parents.

The Smackover-Norphlet District’s current mask policy, according to Superintendent Jason Black shortly before the semester began, is to “strongly encourage masks” while re-visiting the issue as necessary at board meetings.

Monday evening, the SNSD board convened for a special called meeting to discuss a recent rise in COVID-19 cases and quarantines and to inform staff and parents about their decision making process surrounding the possibility of a near-future mask mandate.

The board did not take action Monday night and did not seek comment from the numerous staff members and parents who attended. Instead, Black and the board members focused the meeting on explaining the quarantine requirements mandated by the Arkansas departments of health and education, updating the public on current case and quarantine numbers and discussing the conditions in which and the reasons why a mask mandate might become necessary.

Black began by explaining the district’s obligation to follow state-mandated quarantine procedures for those who test positive or were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Black said the district reached out for legal guidance regarding the quarantine requirements and was given the legal opinion that the district is obligated to follow the state’s quarantine requirements and that the ADH has specifically placed the responsibility of adhering to quarantine procedures on local school districts.

Black said administrators next reached out to the Department of Health regarding the use of face shields instead of masks.

“We were told that face shields are an added tool that one may wear with a mask for added protection but are not utilized in place of a mask,” Black said.

Black followed up this information by relaying the administration’s stance towards COVID-19 policies.

“I think the school board has put forth a great effort to let the community know we’re trying to make all the strides we can to operate a fully functioning school while also hearing the concerns of parents, students, teachers and all those who could come into contact with this. At the same time, I feel strongly and think most of us do that we want our kids here. That’s been the goal… to try to operate a school that is effective, to have all our kids here and to be as safe as we can. Schools weren’t built to house students in a way that we can social distance students six feet or more in every classroom, so it puts us in a compromised position right out of the gate,” Black said.

Next, Black said that the district had 109 students approximately 9.7% of the student body - quarantined as of Monday night.

District nurses Michelle Martisek and Amy Jeffress, who also function as the district’s points of contact with the Department of Health, were present during the meeting as well.

Martisek said that of the 109 in quarantine, eight tested positive for COVID-19 and 101 were quarantined due to exposure. She added that the majority of those currently quarantined were exposed at school, although some were exposed through contact with a parent or family member.

The district had 16 students quarantined on August 20; 20 on August 23; and 95 on August 26.

“We can’t guess what will happen tomorrow, but we can read data and make an assumption that, if you look at what we have going on right now, that in a few weeks we could be in a situation where we have 200 or 300 students out. We’ve been delegated the responsibility to keep our kids in school, keep the teachers teaching and do what’s best for the district in general. Regardless of if we agree with masks or agree with anything going on in politics, my number one goal is to make sure we have the kids here. But, I wanted you to know where the data is trending, and wanted you to know that this does take a toll on the effectiveness and efficiency of our staff,” Black said.

Later in the meeting, Jeffress informed board members that the majority of the current cases originated at Norphlet Middle School. Smackover Elementary School currently has more parents than students with the virus, she continued, while Smackover High School “has a bunch out testing.”

Board member Don Thomas asked about the ADH guidelines, wondering if a mask mandate being in place would have prevented the current quarantine numbers being what they are.

Jeffress informed him that, per the guidelines, only the eight positive students would be out if all had been actively and correctly wearing masks besides potentially the few who were exposed outside of school.

Martisek promoted a mask mandate by comparing it to other school requirements.

“Requirements make it much easier for staff to enforce it. A mandate serves a function similar to a dress code, giving teachers the authority to enforce,” she said.

Black again reiterated the district’s obligation to follow ADH quarantine requirements, using the meeting as an example.

“If I’m a positive carrier and we’re all at a table in a classroom; if I don’t have on a mask, but the other six do and we don’t have a mask requirement in play, everybody is going home. We didn’t make the rules and won’t even say we necessarily agree with all of them, but if I’m a positive carrier and don’t have on a mask, and everyone else here has on a mask - we’re all going home. The reason is that everyone has to have on a mask for them to be effective according to the guidelines. If I’m positive and have a mask and all the others do too, I’m going home but they are staying in school,” Black said.

In a gesture to summarize the point of the meeting before its conclusion, board member Chris Long asked all attendees who favored masks to raise their hands; then for all against masks to raise their hands; and finally for all those who want to see their children in school to raise their hands.

The first two received near-equal hand raises; the latter received unanimous.

The board did not take any action Monday night.

SNSD School Board president Lynn Birchfield said that another special meeting will be convened, however, if cases continue to rise in the district.