Menomonie School Board votes for optional masking in the fall

The SDMA school board will vote tonight on the COVID plan for the upcoming school year, including whether masks will be required for students. Tonight's agenda:

(Per Wis. Stat. § 19.84(2)) SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE MENOMONIE AREA NOTICE OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE CENTER*

215 PINE AVENUE NE, MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN

MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021, 5:30 P.M.

AGENDA

I. OPENING ITEMS

A. Call to Order

B. Roll Call and Quorum

C. Pledge of Allegiance Reading of Mission Statement

D. Agenda Order and Approval/Revision

E. Recommendations and Commendations

F. Community Communications

Approxiately 60 people attended tonight's meeting, including a very large apparently anti-masking group that arrived late and were at the back of the room. They did not socially distance, and were disruptive to the meeting at multiple times. There was also a very large group of peolple who were not allowed in the room who continued to make noise in the hallway and often made it difficult to hear the speakers. 

Many people had registered to comment at the meeting, and many more sent emails to the board to address the masking issue. The email comments were not read at the meeting but are all available below. 

As at previous meetings, a ciitzen delivered comments against the anti-bullying policy in the district, believing that the policy tolerates "immoral" LGBTQ+ students in the district. 

The board had an option to cut comments to 2 minutes after 10 speakers. They declined to do this and allowed the remaining 7 or 8 speakers to also have 3 minutes. 

G. Revenue and Expenditure Reports for the Month Ended July 2021

H. Monthly Employment Report (July 2021)

II. CONSENT AGENDA

A. Action to Approve Consent Agenda

1. Minutes of Regular Meeting of July 12, 2021, and Special Meeting of July 26, 2021

2. Financial Reports for July 2021

3. Donations Exceeding $1,000 for July 2021

III. PERSONNEL CONSENT AGENDA

A. Action to Approve Personnel Consent Agenda

1. Resignations/Retirements

2. Requests to Hire

IV. ACTION AGENDA

A. Approve COVID-19 Plan for 2021-2022

After a long period of discussion punctuated by many complaints from the crowd, the board voted 5-4 to adopt option A in the plan, which makes masks optional for the schools in Fall. 

B. Approve Employee Handbook Updates for 2021-2022

V. DISCUSSION ITEMS/POLICY REVIEW

A. Legal Services Report

B. Annual Meeting Discussion

C. Items Related to Next Meeting Dates, Board Committees, and Reports

VI. ADJOURNMENT

A. Action to Adjourn

The agenda as noted above was posted more than twenty-four hours prior to the meeting date; therefore, this agenda and the agenda as published in the Dunn County News may have since been revised. The most up-to-date agenda information is available on the district website. This agenda is posted at the Menomonie Area School District Administrative Services Center, and on the district website at www.sdmanonline.com under the School Board link.