Manatee School Board approves $350,000 for face shields and desk partitions
The School Board of Manatee County has continued to form a battle plan to fight COVID-19 in the new school year. The time for preparation is running out, with teachers slated to return on Monday and students scheduled to begin on Aug. 17.
The board voted 4-1 to spend up to $350,000 on face shields and desk partitions during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The motion was separate from the $325,000 already approved for cloth face masks in early June.
Recent guidance from the school district said that “face masks or shields” would be required in all district buildings and school buses. But in a phone call on Tuesday evening, district spokesman Mike Barber said that masks would be the primary form of protection against COVID-19. Face shields would be used as an additional measure for “certain situations,” he continued.
An emailed response, sent earlier in the day, stated that all faculty, staff and students would receive cloth masks from the district. It also said the district would address medical conditions and individualized education plans, or IEPs, on a case-by-case basis.
“Face masks or shields will also be worn when outside on school grounds or property unless students are participating in recess, physical education or some other organized outdoors activity where social distancing is practiced,” the email states.
During the conversation on Tuesday afternoon, Vice-Chair Charlie Kennedy said there was some recent confusion about the mask expectation, and that board members should make their stance clear. He has continually said that shields were useful for students with medical conditions or IEPs, and that masks should be the standard for most students.
Board member Scott Hopes seemed to agree. He said the face shields were an added safety measure, not a replacement for masks.
“The partitions and the face shields are not a substitute or alternative to a face mask for airborne viruses,” said Hopes, who has a master’s degree in epidemiology.
Kennedy voted against the spending authorization on Tuesday. It only allowed the district to buy face shields and partitions with the approved $350,000, and he wanted to add rapid COVID-19 tests to the motion. His suggestion died for lack of a second.
However, all of his fellow board members expressed interest in learning more about rapid testing and its possible use among district employees and students. The board is expected to continue the conversation on Aug. 4.
“I think by learning who has (COVID-19) right away helps with tracing and prevention and maybe isolation, and not waiting days or maybe even weeks to find the result,” board member Dave Miner said.
The board room is also expected to reopen for public comments during the Aug. 4 workshop. Masks and social distancing will be required, and the board will prioritize comments related to the agenda.
Written comments can still be submitted by emailing public_comment@manateeschools.net. Board meetings are broadcast on Spectrum Channel 646 and Frontier Channel 39, along with www.mstv.us.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 4:23 PM.