A doctor has resigned from the Dover School Board because of the state's directive that on-site teaching begin later this month.
"The state's directive is beyond this board's authority to counter, but I will not abet the state in its error by executing that directive," Dr. Nathan R. Henderson wrote in a letter Saturday to Joshua Daniels, superintendent of the Dover School District in Pope County.
"Therefore, in formal protest of the state order reconvening on-site instruction during an escalating pandemic, I herewith resign my seat on the Dover School Board," the letter says.
Henderson wrote that he had communicated his concern to the governor's office and encouraged others to do the same, asking for a delay in on-site instruction "until viral activity is suppressed enough for a safe return."
Late Monday afternoon, Gov. Asa Hutchinson provided the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a comment regarding Henderson's letter.
[CORONAVIRUS: Click here for our complete coverage » arkansasonline.com/coronavirus]
"It is my understanding that the Dover School District offers a virtual education option for its students in addition to offering in classroom instruction," Hutchinson said. "This is the same structure that many other schools offer in Arkansas. I consider education as an essential service and it is best delivered in a classroom setting. Dr. Henderson's letter asserts that the pandemic is escalating. I am grateful that is not the case in Arkansas. The new cases have declined recently and the positivity rate is lower than last week. Every community needs to do their part but the school children deserve a chance."
When informed of the governor's comment, Henderson said in an email: "I think we would both be very happy to see positivity trend downward to less than 5%, and remain there for more than 14 days. We can help reach that goal by wearing masks, practicing hygiene, and social distancing. We are all in this together and want to see our students back in school. My concern is re-entering the classroom while positivity remains elevated."
Henderson has had experience with covid-19, according to his School Board resignation letter and a news release from the doctor. Henderson designed Pope County's Viral Triage Center and spent three months testing, triaging and tracing covid-19 patients in the region, according to the news release.
"I served three months on the front line of this outbreak, however, and observed in that capacity how easily the virus is transmitted within facilities and then outward into the broader community," he wrote in the letter.
"While the outbreak accelerates, I do not think any safety measures we are capable of implementing in the close quarters of our schools will be sufficient. I worry reconvening on-site instruction may worsen the outbreak in our area," the letter says.
Daniels expressed "regretfully respect" for Henderson's decision to resign.
"I have worked with Dr. Henderson as a parent, community member, local physician and board member for the past several years," Daniels said in a statement emailed to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "Dr. Henderson has given countless hours of volunteer time and effort to our school and community. In my time working with Dr. Henderson he has always worked to make our school and community stronger. I appreciate his service to our school and regretfully respect his decision to step down as board member. He will remain a valuable member of our school/community partnership moving forward."
Tony Prothro, executive director of the Arkansas School Boards Association, said he wasn't aware of any other school board members in the state resigning in protest over on-site teaching.
The Dover School District's fall plan is available on its website at doverschools.net.
"We plan for students to attend school daily following a very similar schedule to the traditional school day," according to the plan. Guidelines include mask-wearing and social-distancing.
The school district also offers the Dover Virtual Academy, in which students can do all classwork online for the entire school year.
"Students have the option to attend 100% online," Tasha Ivey, a spokeswoman for the school district, said in an email. "Should they choose to still participate in athletics, band or choir, they have an option to attend on-site for those activities. We currently do not have an option for students to attend core classes part-time on-site and part-time virtually. We felt that would create more of an increase in traffic in and out of the buildings."
School begins on Monday in Dover.