Superintendent plans ‘expectation’ for masks
One week before classes begin in the district, the Watson Chapel School Board on Monday unanimously passed a resolution granting Superintendent Andrew Curry the ability to require everyone on campuses or in school vehicles to wear face coverings while an injunction against Arkansas Act 1002 remains in effect.
The resolution states in part that the board “continues to believe that local communities should be empowered to implement common-sense public-health precautions, including requiring masks, in order to keep their students and employees safe.”
Curry told board members the resolution will not go into effect immediately, as he monitors the proceedings in a lawsuit filed by the Little Rock and Marion school districts against the state and Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Parents Veronica McClane and Ashley Simmons; Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde; and Sheriff Eric Higgins joined the districts in the lawsuit.
Curry explained that his requirement is an “expectation” and will not be enforced by penalty, unless data regarding the spread of covid-19 in Jefferson County leads him to do otherwise. There were 562 active cases of covid-19 and 192 deaths related to the disease as of Monday in the county.
“I am waiting to see what the Arkansas Supreme Court, which will probably deal with this, this week, has to say,”
Curry said. Although Pulaski County Circuit Judge Timothy Fox issued the injunction against Act 1002 on Friday, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports he wants to expedite the case proceeding so the Arkansas Supreme Court can issue the final ruling.
“But in the meantime, if they don’t get their stuff together between now and the start of school, then we’re going to set the expectation at Watson Chapel that everybody will be masked up when school starts, unless something happens in the courts that stops us from doing so completely,” Curry said. “But even with that said, we had already decided that the expectation is what we’re setting here in saying that, ‘here’s the expectation.’ Now, if somebody comes up and absolutely [says] ‘I’m not going to wear a mask, OK, it is what it is.’ We’ve got to follow our policies and do what we can, but at the end of the day, I’m trying to do this by setting an expectation and then meeting that expectation.”
The first day of class in the Watson Chapel School District is Monday, Aug. 16.
Act 1002, which went into effect July 28, prevented school districts and most other governmental entities from establishing mask mandates.
At the heart of the debate over the act has been the ineligibility of children younger than 12 to receive covid-19 vaccines.
Almost 2 hours before the Watson Chapel board meeting, Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington issued a statement that her city will continue to require facial coverings in municipal buildings.
“The City remains firm in encouraging businesses and organizations to implement mask safeguards in their buildings as well, and members of the public are advised to wear masks in communal environments,” Washington said.
Curry said he has not established a hard and fast threshold for mandating masks in Watson Chapel schools, adding that won’t matter because an expectation is being set.
“I’m never going to be that way,” Curry said. “I’m going to set the expectation, and that’s what I’m going to do. And that’s the expectation with the staff, our kids. I’m going to ask them to do the right thing, and I believe they will. Our staff and students will.”
IN OTHER DISTRICT BUSINESS
■ The district reported an ending balance of $9,675,202.21 through July. The district received $1,277,875 during the month and spent $552,163.95 in non-activity funds.
Assistant superintendent LaDonna Spain announced the district has received more than $6.8 million in third-phase Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief funds, to be used toward the teacher retention recruitment package. The district is also using ESSER funds toward improving its heating, ventilation and air conditioning units; personal protective equipment and addressing learning loss due to the pandemic.
Board members approved the hiring of Architecture Plus of Fort Smith to replace the HVAC units.
■ Watson Chapel High junior Keiren Hunter was honored for finishing as a national semifinalist in the EdRising Moment speech contest and delivered his entry, drawing a standing ovation from board members and other attendees.
Hunter’s honor was part of a new segment Curry launched for board meetings called “Wildcat Warriors.”
NEW HIRES
The WCSD approved the following hires:
■ Elizabeth DeArmond, Kenya Hudson, Lori Jones, Joyce Suggs and Sherita Thomas as elementary teachers;
■ Denesha Evans and ShaLa Jordan as secondary teachers;
■ Angela Billingsley as a media specialist;
■ Pauline Polk as a parttime custodian; and
■ Twanna Watson as a paraprofessional.
The district accepted resignation letters from custodian Jermaine Bates, paraprofessionals Anthony Brown and Sharon Jackson, and teachers Angela Harris and Nicolette Laurent.
“But in the meantime, if they don’t get their stuff together between now and the start of school, then we’re going to set the expectation at Watson Chapel that everybody will be masked up when school starts, unless something happens in the courts that stops us from doing so completely.”
— Andrew Curry Watson Chapel School District superintendent