PCSC holds special meeting for parents to discuss the back to school plan
PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth Community School Corporation (PCSC) board held a special meeting Tuesday for the purpose of hearing public comments on the back to school in-person learning plan that was approved during the June board meeting. Over 20 individuals took the opportunity to speak for up to two minutes regarding their concerns.
Parents asked the board to consider the physical, emotional, social and mental impact of mask wearing. The board was asked for improved and consistent communication including reporting transparency of positive cases along with the coinciding number of close contacts required to quarantine.
The meeting opened with statements from representatives from the Marshall County Health Department (MCHD). Public Health Nurse Lisa Letsinger stated, “I think we can all agree that the goal is to keep our children in school.”
She provided an overview of
Lincoln Junior High is hosting a community car wash as the first event of a Lincoln Leads community engagement project. Student volunteers will be washing cars for a free will donation to raise money for the Treber family to assist them in recovering from a house fire. The event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lincoln Junior High. Please use the parent pick up and drop off entrance located off S. Liberty St.
findings from the Indiana State Department of Health Strike Team last week. Of 804 Binaxnow Rapid Tests, 197 people tested positive. “Which is a 25% positivity rate.” Results were still pending from the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
She emphasized the success last year of keeping students in school through the implementation of layered mitigation strate
gies including the use of masks, social distancing, hand washing and sanitizing high touch surfaces. “We worked together as a community to protect each other.”
She noted that the recommendation for masking is not intended to be forever; but for the time that the county is trending in high community spread.
Public Health Officer Byron Holm echoed the desire to keep children in school; noting that education is best implemented in-person rather than at home.
He emphasized the success of mask use noting that there was no documented intra-school spread accounted for during that period of time. “That means by masking we did improve some things.”
He reported a reduced spread of childhood infectious diseases. “It does help block the spread of infectious disease. Based on that, that’s why we are recommending what we’re doing. And the good thing is, we proved that if they were in school and they were masked, we didn’t see the spread. So we can move that now so if there is somebody positive in the school, now they don’t have to stay home and be quarantined. We can wear a mask, we test them, and we clear them. So that’s the most important thing.”
He requested cooperation. “All we are asking parents, the board, and everybody to do is to join us in this effort to keep our kids in school. It’s not going to be forever. As soon as it starts trending down and we get in to the yellow or blue zone, I’m going to take and say we don’t have to do that. So, I think there is an end to it. I want the kids to enjoy life without a mask on and enjoy their sports and everything else. We are really just about trying to give good, solid, basic recommendations to do what we need to do.”
Allison Stone, a former PCSC educator and mother of current students recommended a common ground plan. She admitted that there is no way to please everyone, but stated that communication is key. “Lack of communication promotes division.”
Several individuals objected to the enforcement of a mask by school policy stating it should be a personal or parental choice regardless of vaccination status.
Amy Knapp addressed the fluctuation in recommendations made by Dr. Fauci from no masks initially to one mask to multiple masks; also noting differences in efficacy between a basic facial mask and the N95. She emphasized personal and parental choice as a “Godgiven” freedom.
Some detailed confusion and miscommunication with educators and principals regarding virtual learning options for students with medically excused absences, not just for students who test positive for COVID or are quarantined.
Charlotte Stone suggested that children’s immune systems are being compromised by the mask wearing regulation. “The first two weeks of school now these kids have been sick. You had kids who got sick but it happens every year. Their immune systems get used to it and then they’re okay.”
She also noted that students are struggling academically from enforced and repeated quarantines.
A Class of 2021 PHS graduate challenged the authority of the school board to require masks while parental permission and signature is required for any medication, including over the counter pain killer.
Diane Fisher noted that masks make it difficult for educators to detect evidence of physical abuse by obstructing the view of children’s faces.