Fayetteville School District crafting policy to require masks at school

FAYETTEVILLE -- The School District is developing a policy requiring students and employees to wear a mask or face covering while in a school building or riding a school bus.

The School Board held a special meeting Thursday to discuss the proposed policy written by district counsel Chris Lawson. Board members suggested some minor changes but otherwise seemed to support it.

The board plans to vote on the policy at another special meeting set for July 16. Arrangements will be made so the public may offer their comments, said board President Nika Waitsman.

The Arkansas Department of Health hasn't issued a directive requiring face coverings for those attending school this fall.

Northwest Arkansas' other large districts -- Bentonville, Rogers and Springdale -- haven't taken the step of requiring face coverings, but are recommending them for adults and students in either fourth or fifth grade and up.

All school districts are busy preparing to open for in-person instruction after the covid-19 pandemic closed them in March.

Fayetteville's proposed policy states masks and face coverings must cover the nose and mouth. It applies to students waiting outside schools before and after school and to students waiting at bus stops.

Any student who refuses to follow the rule will be required to leave school, though the policy does outline some exceptions.

Students may remove their face covering to eat or drink and when "appropriate social distancing measures" are in place, as determined by a teacher or school administrator. Students also may be exempted because of a medical condition or special behavioral or individual needs, according to the proposal.

Teachers overwhelmingly favor the proposal, said Anna Beaulieu, a high school French teacher and president of the Fayetteville Education Association.

A quick survey showed 300 of 353 teachers who had responded as of Thursday afternoon favored the proposal, an 85% rate of support, Beaulieu said.

She shared with the board teachers' concern the proposal doesn't include exceptions for employees outside of a documented medical condition. Teachers who teach phonics and languages and those with hearing-impaired students have to be able to show their mouths to students, Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu also said while the survey shows teachers support the wearing of masks in school, "It is in no way an endorsement of returning to on-site teaching" this fall. That's a separate topic about which there is still a lot of conversation, she said.

The district also is developing a policy on covid-19 screenings. The draft policy states appropriate screenings shall be implemented for all students and employees with the official screening questions and temperature-detecting requirements issued by the Department of Health.

Thursday's board meeting was held in the high school cafeteria. It was the board's first in-person meeting since March.

Board members and administrators went straight from their meeting to the district's 2020 graduation, a walk-through event held in the Performing Arts Center.

Graduates walked across the stage one at a time and posed for a photo as an administrator announced their name and "Pomp and Circumstance" played. Each graduate was allowed two guests, who walked through the auditorium and took photos of their own. All attendees were required to wear face coverings.

The ceremony was open to all 750 students graduating this year from Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville Virtual Academy and the ALLPS School of Innovation. About 500 were expected to attend the event, according to Holly Johnson, director of communications and public relations.