Kenston Moves to Optional Masking
The Kenston Schools Board of Education voted during a special meeting to make masking voluntary for school staff, students, volunteers and visitors on school property beginning Feb. 8.
The Kenston Schools Board of Education voted during a special meeting to make masking voluntary for school staff, students, volunteers and visitors on school property beginning Feb. 8.
The change follows a Feb. 1 Geauga Public Health recommendation that masking on school properties be optional due to the availability of vaccines and the low rate of new COVID–19 cases among school–aged children.
Adam Litke, GPH interim administrator, attended the Kenston board meeting and reiterated the GPH stance on making masking optional, stating the recommendations are made after considering various factors.
“We look at the conversion rate of kids who go from an exposed case to an actual positive case – those are very low in Geauga County – we also work closely with Lake County as well, to monitor those, “ Litke said. “Between that and between the ability of the schools that have air purification, they have fans, they have social distancing, amongst other things, and also looking for outbreaks, looking for breakthrough cases, things of that nature — going through all of that discussion to make sure we’re doing the best for each school.”
Masks will still be required on school buses and vans, in accordance with federal regulations.
Beth Krause was the only board member to vote against rescinding mandatory masking in schools and questioned what other school districts are doing.
“Most have gone to … where it’s strongly recommended, right?” said Superintendent Nancy Santilli. “So, it’s at an – an individual’s option and that’s what we’re continuing with. If people certainly chose to have the mask on, that’s certainly their choice and we would certainly support that — in both Lake and Geauga counties, that seems to be that trend.”
Krause said in her opinion, it is a little bit too soon.
“Clearly cases are going down, but really other than the Geauga County recommendation, nobody else has really changed their (masking) recommendations, yet. I appreciate that, you know, people want options, but just for my comfort level, it’s just a little too soon.”
Board member Jennifer Troutman said she researched the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and determined Kenston would be aligned with those in recommending, but not mandating, masking. Troutman was also concerned all students should be made to feel comfortable with their choice to mask or not.
“People who want to wear masks certainly should continue to wear masks and everyone should be respectful of that,” Troutman said. “Particularly, staff needs to not comment on their personal feelings on masking one way or another – just support the students and each other in what they‘re doing.”
Santilli assured the board she has had those discussions with administrators, as well as with the teachers’ union.
“Certainly, your point of respectfulness is what we want to practice for all,” Santilli said.
During the work session, the board also discussed use of the Gurd Family Fieldhouse. With spring sports starting soon, board member Dennis Bergansky was critical of how the fieldhouse has historically been available to only football. Bergansky wants the fieldhouse to be accessible to all sports groups who use the field.
Other members of the board pushed back against Bergansky’s claims that other sports groups have been limited in their use of the building, citing a document of the groups and their assignments to the field house.
The board agreed to have a further discussion with the athletic department regarding implementation of scheduled assignments and to be sure that all coaches know they have access to, and should be using, the fieldhouse.
Treasurer Paul Pestello led a discussion regarding future financial options and considerations for the district. Pestello told the board they will need to start considering whether they want to put a levy before the community.
“We’ve had discussion about taking a look at our board policy – the financial fire alarm if you will – and maybe altering that which would allow us to have a lower fund balance before we thought about looking at levies. I’m very supportive of that idea,” Pestello said. “If we do that and if everything happens the way that I’m projecting in 2022 and 2023, then we could remain off the ballot until 2024 for operating funds.”
Pestello believes Kenston has done very well with their finances.
“I do want to point out that would be nine years after the last levy passed in 2015 — that levy was for 4 mills,” said Pestello.
The previous operating levy was passed in 2005, 10 years earlier, for 9.4 mills, Pestello said, meaning the district was able to make one levy last 10 years, and another – at about half the rate – last nine.
“And so, I think that’s a testament, obviously, as to what’s been going on in the school district in terms of its leadership and how it’s handled its finances, long before I came,” he said. “I’ve only been here two-and-a-half years. I’d like to say I had some influence on that, but certainly not all of it. So, the truth is, we’ve done, as a district, extremely well to have a 4-mill levy last nine years, which is what we’re in line to do.”
