The Greene County School Board unanimously approved mask requirement thresholds as part of the reopening protocol plan at Wednesday night’s meeting.

Prior to the Board approving the threshold levels of requiring a mask, a contested debate took place about requiring masks across the district to begin the year. Board Vice-President and retired physician Dr. Steve Karber made the motion to require masks.

“I think it’s very clear that this is a sneaky virus and inevitably we’re going to get it at sometime but we certainly can reduce the rate and reduce the burden on society and masks will do that.”

Board President Steve Fisher argued against wearing a mask.

“That’s the problem like it’s not proven that masks stop it. There’s a lot of evidence that conflicts with the fact that masks stop it.”

Karber’s motion ultimately failed by a 3-2 vote, with Fisher, along with board members Catherine Wilson and John McConnell voting “no.” Fisher, on behalf of the Board, declined board members from stating their reason for why they voted against requiring masks to begin the school year.

The Board did approve establishing three threshold levels for masks. Those include highly encouraging masks when the Greene County positivity rate for COVID-19 is less than ten-percent over a two-week period. The next level is requiring masks in a school building when social distancing isn’t possible when the county’s positivity rate is more than ten-percent, or the student and/or staff absenteeism rate as related to COVID-19 is more than ten-percent, or there is one positive case in the building. The third stage is requiring all masks in the building if the county positivity rate is more than 15-percent, or there is more than one case in the building. 

Other items the Board approved included continuing an agreement with the North Central Consortium as presented, one fundraiser request for the football team, change orders for the high school project of over $189,000 and middle school project of over $47,000, a temporary interfund loan from the general fund of $50,000 to the management fund, a $24,000 purchase of WiFi hotspots and Google Chrome tablets from a federal grant, a telemental health services agreement, and releasing Grant Heywood from his contract as a middle school science teacher.

The Board tabled their decision on the certificate of substantial completion for the high school and career academy project as well as the Board goals for the upcoming school year. The meeting ended in a closed session for a superintendent evaluation and goal setting session.