JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Students will return to school Monday barefaced, with the option to wear a mask after the school board failed to pass a mandate effort during an emergency meeting held on New Year’s Day.
The Teton County School District’s Smart Start & In-person Learning Plan called for masks to come off beginning in 2022. The school board met Saturday to make sure that was still the will of trustees.
What happened during the 3-hour meeting mirrored, to some degree, the contentiousness noted across the state at school board gatherings where COVID protocol, book bans, and other highly-charged issues have made for some big-time drama.
Trustee Janine Bay Teske took exception with trustee Kate Mead’s assertion she cared more about students than other board members. Trustee Keith Gingery quoted some stats from the Mountain Freedom Alliance, who have advocated for face coverings to be a personal choice.
Occasional friction aside, the board eventually deadlocked at 3-3 on a vote to require all students and staff to wear masks on January 3 when they return to school. The tie vote results in a failure of the motion to mandate masks. They will remain optional but recommended.
Trustees Alan Brumsted, Kate Mead, and Jennifer Zung voted in favor of a renewed mask mandate. Trustees Betsy Carlin, Keith Gingery, Janine Bay Teske were opposed. Trustee Bill Scarlett was absent from the virtual meeting.
Masks will be required on all school buses. A federal mandate applies there.
One Comment