The last three years the Vinton Shellsburg School Board has been caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to making decisions concerning mask-wearing in the schools. For the most part, the board followed the recommendations of the State of Iowa.
Then Iowa Code Section 280.31, was signed into law on May 20, 2021, prohibited public school districts from requiring masks or face coverings for employees, students, or visitors. The Iowa law took away the decision for the board allowing children to attend school mask-free. Now a federal judge has overturned that decision returning the decision to the local school boards.
As part of the school board's meeting tonight, they will discuss the school's policy during COVID. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. tonight, information is here. There is an opportunity for public comment at the meeting. This is an action item so there will be a decision made at tonight's meeting.
Surrounding school districts that have NOT gone to masking include Benton-Community, Independence, Center Point-Urbana. LaPorte will take up the topic at their meeting tonight as well.
A federal lawsuit challenging Iowa Code 280.31 was recently filed claiming that the new law violates the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by preventing schools from implementing "universal" mask requirements in school buildings to protect students with disabilities who may be especially at risk from COVID-19. On September 13, a federal judge in Des Moines granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the State from enforcing section 280.31 during the pendency of the lawsuit, is effective immediately.
Governor Reynolds has indicated that the State plans to appeal the ruling. Until then, the temporary restraining order will remain in effect.
As part of the meeting tonight, the school board may:
1. Stay status quo and any mask wearing is individual/family choice
2. Stay status quo and wait for further developments from the court case (so as to not go back and forth between policies)
3. Implement a mask mandate for all students and staff
4. Implement a mask mandate for all students not eligible for vaccination and those staff who work with them.
5. Implement an elementary school mask mandate for students and staff
6. Mandate a mask requirement for all or those not eligible for vaccination, but create an opt out form or exemption form for families to fill out. The form would state the possible harms from not wearing masks and parents would sign off permission.
The Board may also come up with any other solutions.
Several medical professionals have submitted a letter to area school boards asking them to create mask mandates once again. The letter is below:
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Our public schools each year are loosening more and more students to Home Schooling. The State of Iowa pays the school several thousand dollars of state aid for each student that attends Public Schools. If the School Board mandate students must wear masks I fear we will loose several more students to Home Schooling.