Some Columbia County residents expressed discontent regarding the school board’s approach to COVID-19 at the Columbia County Board of Education regular session on Tuesday.
In the public participation segment of the meeting, Jennifer Collins was among those who spoke before the board about its COVID-19 policies. Collins said she disagreed with the board’s current policy.
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“The evidence is clear,” said Collins. “Masks provide protection against COVID. The NEA supports robust masking policies for students’, families’ and educators’ sake. The Columbia County School District states that school staff will continue to implement health and safety standards designed to ensure students can return to school with confidence. Yet by the standards set forth by UNICEF, the CDC, the AAP and the NEA, masks must be required, not just strongly encouraged.”
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Joe Edelman spoke in opposition, citing data against vaccination and mask mandates.
“If we’re making guidance based on health, but we’re not looking at the science and data, how can we make good decisions about masking?” said Edelman. “It is unhealthy for our children to wear masks. It is unhealthy and unsafe. It does not provide a good education practice for them.”
Superintendent Steven Flynt reported on the status of COVID-19 in Columbia County schools. He noted that last week, the board changed its plan regarding face coverings from optional to strongly encouraging them.
“We’re affecting efficient contact-tracing strategies. With it, we’ve been able to keep infected and exposed students and staff away from other individuals. We believe that limited exposure is one of our best mitigating strategies,” Flynt said.
Flynt also noted that 15 schools had student-reported positive cases of COVID this week. Two of the schools, both high schools, had five positive cases. The other 13 schools had fewer than five.
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Comments on other issues were offered by Katie Allen. Allen returned to speak about the board’s policy regarding the availability in schools of literature and other media containing sexual content. In her presentation, Allen read excerpts of the novel “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher and “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult to demonstrate their sexually sensitive content. Both books, she said, are available in several Columbia County high schools.
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David Dekle, board chairman, demanded that Allen refrain as this part of her presentation was inappropriate in a public forum. Allen rebutted that the excerpts were from books available in school libraries. Dekle allowed her to continue.
Flynt announced the special recognition event for former board chairman Regina Buccafusco will be at the Evans High School Auditorium on Aug. 20 at 6 p.m.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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