New Kent schools to comply with Youngkin’s directive; masks now optional

New Kent County Public Schools posted on social media platforms this past weekend that they will be following the directive issued by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to allow parents the option to have their child masked or not inside of school buildings. At Monday night’s school board meeting, that issue was reiterated via a formal vote.

An attempt to require masks put forward by District 3 representative Andrea Staskiel failed 2-3, adhering to Gov. Youngkin’s mandate.

Several supporters of having the option for students to wear masks have been vocal at several meetings of New Kent’s School Board. From there, Superintendent of Schools Brian Nichols has constantly provided updated information on the issues, including new guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Center of Disease and Control (CDC).

Nichols commented in his presentation that VDH has shifted its guidelines, wanting schools to focus more on outbreaks instead of individual cases. Meanwhile, the CDC has lowered the quarantine period to five days if a person doesn’t show any symptoms. From day six to day ten, that person should wear a masks. For students placed in quarantine, they can come back on day seven if they test negative after day five.

Nichols continued, saying that some schools have completely shifted to models where only symptomatic students are stay homed, while those exposed but do not display symptoms can attend school. Symptomatic students must be isolated for 10 days but can return on day 11 if they do not have any symptoms. They can return even earlier (on day eight) if they test negative on day five, six, and seven.

The quarantines have plagued New Kent’s school system. Nichols commented that last week alone, 500 students and staff were in quarantine, while 66 individuals tested positive. He added that one student has been placed in quarantine four times for a total of 40 days.

As comments continued, Nichols said he explored all four school buildings to see how many students opted out of mask-wearing as per Youngkin’s order. According to his visual observation, the superintendent believes roughly 75-80 percent of students were still wearing masks, whereas 90 percent of staff continued to wear masks.

While Nichols continued and praised his staff for working through the staff shortages, he knows there are people who aren’t going to like the governor’s directive and those who will support it. He says he will continue to work through it.

With more than half of the two-hour work session dedicated to the health update, each school board member voiced their position on the directive issued by Youngkin.

“We want in-person learning, so why do we ant to change a variable?” questioned District 4 representative Sarah Grier Barber. “Right now, New Kent is at a 30-percent transmission rate.

“Can we weather that with a staff that’s stretched thin?” she continued. “Changing the mitigation strategy should happen after the surge. I don’t want to see a learning loss. Even if it’s a parental choice, the kids could make a decision for themselves instead of what their parents may have said.

“The biggest thing I’m hearing is that parents are concerned that a student is going to bring it home,” Barber concluded.

District 3 school board member Andrea Staskiel agreed with Barber, citing her medical background.

“It’s clear that everybody has an opinion, and we are teetering on not having enough staffing,” she commented. “I work in health care, and our local hospitals are crowded.

“I’m afraid removing masks will force us back to virtual,” she continued. “I hope the numbers in the next few months will allow it to be optional, but I am going to make a motion to require everybody to wear a mask in the buildings.”

Before the vote took place, other school board members spoke about the issue.

“We have an executive order in place,” commented District 5 representative Molly McBeath. “There are so many controversial issues that have divided communities and schools.

“We are not immune to the mask policy,” she continued. “There are foundational strategies that can help reduce transmission, and after listening to the community, I believe that the order is good. We have treatments and vaccines that are available, and I believe our children should no longer be required to wear masks.”

“I respect Ms. Barber’s and Ms. Staskiel’s comments,” District 1 representative Wayne Meade said. “My challenge is that this an executive order.

“Back in Mar. 2020 when COVID became an issue, it was a true unknown,” he continued. “At that time there was no medical information, and that administration shut down the school system in Virginia. From historical evidence, we know that the infection rate was nominal until the Summer when it peaked.

“Every school complied with that executive order without evidence,” Meade added as he wrapped up his comments. “My concern as a board is that we are bound to follow the law and to follow the law means following the executive order. We are either going to comply will all of the executive orders or none, and I feel compelled to comply that gives parents the option to have their child wear a mask or not. I support the governor’s order of a parents’ option.”

District 2 representative and school board chairwoman Kristen Swynford summed up her comments from her earlier beliefs about finding a cure for COVID-19.

“One year ago, yesterday, New Kent with the Chickahominy Health District held a vaccine clinic and I felt confident that was the solution,” she said. “I do grasp and recognize the challenges, everything from school learning to virtual learning to mitigation.

“Procedurally, just as New Kent School Board complied with the August 2021 order of public health that mandated wearing masks, New Kent County Public Schools communicated that the division would comply with that order,” Swynford continued. “Executive Order Two did not give school boards the authority to decide on this issue.

“There’s anger and fear, and for New Kent School Board, it is not who we care the most about that we are fighting over, but it’s the disagreement is on the most lawful way to proceed,” the chairwoman said as she wrapped up her comments. “Senate Bill 1303 said that the CDC’s recommendation is to make the maximum attempt practicable with the health order. And with 36 states since September making wearing a face mask option, the CDC mandate is no longer practicable.”

Staskiel made a motion to require masks shortly afterwards, with Barber adding the second. The vote failed 2-3, with Meade, McBeath, and Swynford casting votes of opposition.