JGSC parents continue to speak out against masks in schools
WALKERTON — For the past couple of months, each school board meeting at John Glenn School Corporation (JGSC) has started with public comments addressing COVID-19 and the corporation’s mask policy.
Board President William Groves reminded all that spoke to be civil, respectful, and that they would have three minutes to voice their concerns.
Everyone that spoke addressed medical freedoms, COVID-19, and masks. Most of the parents that spoke did so even though they felt they were not being heard by the board.
“We see you listening, we see your facial expressions, we see your body language, and we see you listening. But you’re not hearing us,” said Krystal Fairchild.
ashley Nelson spoke first stating that normally she would prepare a speech, but since she didn’t believe the board was listening to them, she decided against it. “My kids are not wearing masks anymore. You guys don’t have the right to make medical decisions for them. You don’t have the right to force them to use medical instruments. It’s done. If there’s an issue, send them home, I don’t care. That’s fine, they’re safer at home.”
Sarah Griesinger said that she had contacted the St. Joseph County Health Department concerning who had the authority on mask policy. She received an email from Deputy Health Officer Mark Fox. “Mark Fox actually sent me an email and said that they don’t have the authority to decide that. You guys do.”
Tracy Fry brought poster boards with data to show the school board. She also said that masks were in violation of Federal law. “Your compliance is giving consent. Stop complying, because you are giving consent by bringing your children here with masks on their faces.”
Erica Franklin asked the school board to be more transparent by sending a mass email to parents concerning COVID-19 related numbers to prove that masks are necessary. She would like to also see the number of student visits to counselors for anxiety issues and data concerning the reading progress of kindergarten and first graders. “So, if I send my children to school with a note saying it’s against my beliefs for my kids to wear masks, what legal ground do you have to stand on to make them wear one or send them home? according to the 1st and 14th amendments, you don’t have that right.”
The parents also called on the board members to act as their representatives. “If you would choose to represent the people who elected you, then you would have my vote for as long as you choose to serve. Serving the people of your school community is what you were elected to do. Based on the number of people here and speaking passionately about this issue each meeting, I would guess that they are more in favor of your children
breathing freely. To the one member who twirled his pen and looked uninterested the whole last meeting, please remember who you are working for. We are not giving up and we are not going away,” said Franklin.
Angelica Griffin agreed with Franklin and most of the parents that spoke concerning board representation. “I don’t think you understand the strength of this community and the passion that is driving this. For the three of you that are up for reelection next year, let’s figure it out.
Either you guys start doing what’s right or you’re going to be replaced.”
Later on, during the meeting, Superintendent Christopher Winchell addressed the reasoning behind required masks during school days.
“What we’ve decided here is, we’re going to require masking to prevent having to isolate and having to quarantine kids,” he said.
Winchell shared that from Oct. 10 through Oct. 16, JGSC saw five positive kids. Those positive cases also showed 19 close contacts. Of those contacts, 11 students weren’t sent home, but eight had to be quarantined. The week of Oct. 17, there were two positive cases with nine close contacts with five of those contacts had to be quarantined. The week of Oct. 24, there were six positive cases. Winchell said some of that positivity was from extra-curricular activities.
“And so, there were 44 kiddos who were potentially close contacted, but only 11 of those 44 had to go home,” said the superintendent. “So, even though masking is not popular, it is not popular to not support parental choice, we do hear you loud and clear. Please know that, just because maybe we don’t agree with you 100 percent, it does not mean that we don’t hear you or we don’t support you and we don’t value you. And I would echo, the passion of our parents is second to none and that’s exactly why I’m sitting here right now because I came back to be a part of the passion that exists in this community.”
Superintendent Winchell told the board and the audience that they are having conversations with the local health departments about what it looks like to transition away from masks.
“But I’m very sensitive to what our parents are saying is that they don’t want the close contacting, they don’t want the quarantine, they don’t want kids out of school. And that still continues to be the very tricky conundrum. We could end masking today; we would be legally required then to send 44 kids home last week instead of 11. And so that is the conundrum that we still find ourselves in,” Winchell said.
During board member comments, Groves gave the following statement. “First of all, I wouldn’t go to your place of work and tell your boss that I’m going to fire him. I’m going to fire him; he’s not doing what I want. I want you to know that there’s two sides to the coin. I’ve served for 23 years. I’m not afraid of getting voted out. Never have been. Being on this board is an honor. I have served the children of my community without a problem. I don’t have a problem disagreeing with you. I don’t have a problem having a different opinion. I have three grandchildren, I had four last year, in this school corporation. I care about those three grandchildren as much as you care about your children. You don’t go unheard...i care about every kid in this school corporation.”