Springdale School Board adopts face-covering requirement

SPRINGDALE -- The School Board voted unanimously Tuesday for a policy requiring all students and employees to wear a face covering at school when social distancing isn't possible.

The board also adopted a revised calendar with the school year starting Aug. 24 and ending May 26.

Superintendent Jared Cleveland, in his first meeting with the board since assuming the district's top job two weeks ago, said he worked closely with superintendents of Northwest Arkansas' other large school districts -- Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville -- on crafting the face-covering policy. Springdale became the first of those four districts to adopt it.

The policy mandates face coverings for students and employees when physical distancing of 6 feet isn't possible or practical while on School District property, on district-owned vehicles, at bus stops or at school-sponsored activities.

Whether physical distancing is appropriate shall be determined by a teacher or school administrator. Students will be given breaks from face-coverings throughout the day and be spaced at least 6 feet apart at those times, according to the policy.

Exceptions to the requirement will be made for those for whom medical conditions and health and safety factors are an issue.

Parents will be responsible for providing face coverings for their kids. The district will provide $20 to staff members to buy face coverings for themselves. Examples of face coverings include masks, neck gaiters or "buffs," and face shields, according to the policy.

Cleveland acknowledged face coverings have sparked debate nationwide, but said the policy is consistent with a culture of caring in Springdale.

Covid-19 appears to be much more threatening to older adults than to children. The average age of the district's bus drivers is about 65, and the district already is down 17 drivers from its ideal number, Cleveland said.

"More are likely to decide not to work this year or to do something else," he said. "The challenge is real. It's substantial."

Board President Michelle Cook said she appreciated everyone who has reached out to her and other board members about the face-covering policy. Cook and all others attending Tuesday's board meeting wore face coverings.

"I feel confident that we need to do this," Cook said about the policy. "I know that it's going to be challenging."

Eddie Ramos, a board member, said he has a son who recently started summer school. The boy has sensory issues, but still wears a mask for about 90 minutes at a time, he said.

"I think if he can get over it, I think most kids can. It's just a matter of getting used to it," Ramos said.

Corrie Tucker, a first-grade teacher at Young Elementary School and president of the Springdale Education Association, thanked the board for its approval of the face-covering mandate.

"I know it's become a heated topic in our community and our country and I just really appreciate so much you showing how much you care for our staff and for our students," Tucker said. "We know that we're the ones who are going to be on the front lines and many of us are anxious to return, so you guys doing that just provides one more safety net for us."

The board also adopted a new 2020-21 school year calendar, necessary because of Gov. Asa Hutchinson's decision to push the start of the year from Aug. 13 to the week of Aug. 24. Hutchinson said districts should not start later than Aug. 26.

Under the new calendar, classes begin Aug. 24 and teachers will report back to work Aug. 11. Four teacher work days that originally had been scattered throughout the school year will be added to the front of the calendar, before school starts.

In addition, the Monday and Tuesday of the Thanksgiving week break -- Nov. 23-24 -- will be remote-learning school days. The last day of school will be May 26, one day later than it had been on the original calendar. Students will still have 178 days of school, as is usual.

Faculty considered another calendar option, but the one the board adopted was favored by 72.6% of staff members who responded to a district poll.