Medford, WI school board quarantine policy

District Admin says "Parents aren’t doing a very good job with that"; Board Member claims community members are spewing disinformation and that facts are based on political leanings

September 28, 2021
Medford, WI
By, Kristie Kohn

On September 27, 2021, I went to the Medford, WI School Board Meeting.  The following is a summary of the board meeting (specifically during the discussion of the school’s quarantine policy), which I hope will be helpful for those who were unable to attend.

The District Office was packed with concerned Taylor County residents, and as I attempted to make my way into the boardroom, I quickly realized that I would be unable to find a seat.  People filled the room, seated in chairs and even on the floor, many standing along the walls, wherever a person could find a spot to pack into. 
 
Despite the removal of equipment and furniture to make more room, the crowd spilled out of the cramped boardroom and into other areas of the district office, where the meeting was live streamed.  Also, just down the road, at Marilyn’s, brats were served while patrons watched the live stream of the board meeting, and I’m sure more watch from home.
 
I noted seeing many familiar faces from our school district’s administration, including the principals from the elementary, middle, and high schools.  Several people sat mask-less, chatting amongst colleagues, until a few minutes before the meeting was set to begin, at which point they donned disposable, surgical masks.

The meeting began as usual with roll call, Pledge of Allegiance, and the open meeting law compliance.  Then began the period of public comment, which was kicked off by a couple residents expressing concerns about masking students in school.
 
After the brief discussion of masks, the conversation turned to the school’s quarantine policy.  Kristie Ulrich brought up the petition she has started to eliminate contact tracing at school; the petition has almost 500 signatures.  She also brought up the fact that the number of healthy students quarantined has greatly outnumbered the number of positive COVID cases, and said people are being refused for COVID testing because they have no symptoms.  Kristie was not the only parent to bring up the issue of COVID testing being denied due to lack of symptoms.
 
Many more concerned individuals spoke during the public comment period, which lasted just under an hour.  Nikkita Muehlbauer questioned why those who have been exposed to COVID, but have had COVID already, and therefore have natural immunity, are being made to quarantine. 
 
Kim Catron said her granddaughter was still made to quarantine for two days after having gotten a negative COVID test. 

In addition, many speakers were concerned with the large number of close contact students being quarantined, and with the amount of school those quarantined students were missing—it was disclosed, later in the meeting, that the school had 200 kids out last week. 
 
Parents discussed the difficulties they had getting schoolwork for their children, criticized the lack of communication from teachers, and were frustrated at not having gotten any information as to the process of making up schoolwork. 
 
A mom of a Medford student, nearly in tears, shared the struggles she has had with her child repeatedly having to quarantine; Ann Olson questioned the school’s ventilation system; Sherry Meyer pointed out that students are not being informed of potential exposure until the end of the school day, possibly putting other students at risk, and she also pointed out that being vaccinated does not mean that an individual can’t spread COVID.
 
A point that was frequently made and emphasized can be neatly summed up by Joe Bauer’s statement, “…I think these policies would pose very serious due process violations, and I have concerns for equal protection, that students who are unvaccinated are being made to be of subservient class to students that are vaccinated.”
 
Near the end of the public comment period, Jasmine Stibbe asked the board, “What the next step is?”  Board President, Dave Fleegel then revealed that District Administrator, Pat Sullivan, as a result of “hearing rumblings in the community,” had been expecting the large turnout to discuss the school’s quarantine policy, and so took it upon himself to add the policy to the board meeting’s agenda.
 
Once the board had made its way through the agenda to COVID-19 Protocols, Sullivan took the lead, and explained how he arrived at his recommendation, “There’s a lot of what I’ve heard here tonight that I don’t agree with, okay?  It isn’t because of a lot of those things that were said that we’re going to give this recommendation.”  Sullivan then had his recommendation put up:

"Students and/or staff who are identified as a close contact, and are exhibiting no symptoms, have a choice to attend school or stay home."
 
Despite the number of people who spoke out with concerns about the number of children and the amount of school they were missing, Sullivan went on to reiterate that the recommendation was being made, “not because of what we are hearing here tonight,” but, “we arrive at this because of the number of kids that are missing school.”

Sullivan said, according to the recommended policy, students and staff who test positive will be isolated, and that the school will still be utilizing contact tracing and notifying parents of close contacts. 
 
However, if a student or staff member is a close contact to someone who has tested positive, as long as they have no symptoms and feel fine, they can come to school.  The recommendation states:

"If a close contact is not exhibiting symptoms, he/she has the option to return, or stay in school and participate in all school activities."
 
However, Sullivan also said, the reality, the cold hard truth, is that, “A lot of our parents aren’t doing a very good job with that,” referring to parents monitoring their child’s symptoms, claiming that a lot of the district’s parents are sending their children to school despite them showing symptoms.
 
Sullivan explained that the school has been voluntarily assisting the Health Department with quarantining, and that the school will no longer be informing anyone of being in quarantine.  Sullivan explained that should the recommendation be approved, the school would be turning the lists of close contacts over to the Health Department, which would then have the authority to place an individual in quarantine. 
 
Should the Health Department place an individual in quarantine, they would not be allowed on school property, and the authorities would be notified if a quarantined individual chose to stay on school property after being asked to leave.
 
Sullivan also said that Patty Krug (Director of the Taylor County Health Department) and the school nurse were not in support of the recommendation.
 
Following Sullivan’s recommendation, board members discussed the issues related to quarantine policy and the systems in place for students who are forced to miss school.  Fleegel noted that the liability to the district would be low as long as the school is not violating a health order.
 
Board member Brian Hallgren made some controversial comments directed toward those who spoke during the Period of Public Comment.  Hallgren stated, “…there’s just a phenomenal amount of disinformation, and some of the things that were spewed tonight are baffling.  So, your facts are based on political leanings, and you can say the same for me, and that’s fine.”

Board member Aemus Balsis asked what the school’s obligation to contact trace is, and whether or not the school was required to notify the Health Department of close contact students.
 
Eventually, a motion was made to make an amendment to the recommendation, which would remove the sections stating that the school would notify the Health Department.  This amendment ultimately failed, with Nuernberger, Zuleger, Hallgren, Dixon, and Deml voting NO.
 
Despite the failed amendment, the original recommendation passed, with Nuernberger, Zuleger, Hallgren, and Dixon voting NO.
 
The next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 25, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the Medford District Office.  I encourage all of those who have questions, comments, and concerns to come to the school board meetings and speak with the board.  Attending local school board and other local government meetings is one of the best ways to stay involved and keep informed.
 
Following the quarantine policy discussion, I had to pick up my children, so I was unable to stay for the entire meeting.  Fortunately, the school board meetings are uploaded to YouTube, so I was able to watch the remainder of the meeting at home.  To watch the September school board meeting, click on the link:   https://youtu.be/RwnhEEU8NrY
 
(FYI:  Any opinions expressed here are mine alone.)