Esko votes to end its mask mandate

While other area schools and cities are heightening Covid-19 protocols, the Esko school board voted Monday to pass a set of guidelines that would allow the removal of mandatory masks on Feb. 7.

With a 3-2 vote at the regular meeting Jan. 24, the board passed guidelines that state the mask mandate for elementary school students would be suspended if the number of active Covid-19 cases for the district is under 25. If the number of cases is not below 25, masks could be mandatory for all students.

“The board has not set a specific strategy, but if the numbers begin to rise significantly, we would have the option of adding further mitigation strategies,” Fischer told the Pine Knot. “Masking more grades could be one of those strategies.”

The district has averaged between 15 and 25 cases a week for the school year, with elementary students — who could not be vaccinated as soon as kids ages 12 and older — wearing masks throughout that timespan.

Board member Steve McConnell questioned the accuracy of the numbers of active cases, wondering if some cases were being misreported as Covid-19 but were actually influenza or “the sniffles.”

Superintendent Aaron Fischer assured the board that the only cases counted are cases that have been confirmed by a Covid-19 test, so there might be more cases than reported, but not fewer.

Parents in the audience, many who have consistently advocated against the mask mandate, whispered about “just not testing” their child so that they did not threaten the removal of the mandatory masks if their child were to become sick before that time.

Fischer initially recommended that the board leave the Covid-19 protocols as they have been, saying the district has been doing a good job of keeping cases at a low and steady level in comparison with nearby districts.

Some board members said that continuing to push off changing protocols was not beneficial to students or their parents.

“I truly look forward to letting the parents decide, because the data is just not there that the way our kids wear masks is effective,” said board member Leona Johnson.

Board chairman Jerry Frederick made sure parents knew that masks will never be “banned” from the school and that they are still encouraging students to wear them. The district will continue to use strict sanitizing practices, offer Covid tests to students, and encourage vaccinations. KN95 masks have been ordered to be available for students to use.

Frederick and Fischer will continue to have administrative power when it comes to Covid-19 protocols, so if there is a spike in cases they will be able to reinstate mandatory masking without calling a special school board meeting.

Fischer will use the district’s messaging system to inform parents about any change in policy and let parents know when the mandate expires. These guidelines were passed through a motion made by board member Steve McConnell, seconded by Leona Johnson, with Maggie Sunnarborg joining them in voting “yes.” Frederick and Todd Rengo voted “no.” Board member Jeff Salo was not present for the second meeting in a row.

In other business, the board discussed the ongoing process of exploring the potential for solar panels to be installed in the district. Fischer and Frederick attended meetings this month to discuss options with Minnesota Power. The plan they are currently working on includes panels with a 15-year warranty that would pay for themselves in 10 years or sooner.

The district is still in the initial stages of applying for a grant that would offer them the funds to go forward with the project, so it is unclear what the next step will look like. If the district is approved for the grant, it is not until then that they would find out how much money they have been offered by the state. If they are approved for the grant but feel like the numbers do not make sense for the district, there is no commitment to the project and no money spent, except for staff time.

The board voted to move the next monthly school board meeting to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7.