News
Maskless Attendees Force SCSD#2 Into A Virtual Board Meeting
Lt. James Hill talks to the attendees
Due to a contentious start of the Nov. 1 SCSD#2 school board meeting, the board at first delayed then meeting then went virtual.
Around 10 parents, none of them wearing masks, attended the meeting to protest the continuing mask requirement for all school buildings.
Present was Douglas Wheeler, who refused to wear a mask, and has been very vocal in his opposition to the mask mandate. Here is a portion of his exchange with Superintendent Stolts:
Wheeler was then asked to leave by SPD Lt. James Hill, and Wheeler felt that he was entitled to attend without a mask due to his disability citing the American’s with disabilities act, which states that no person with a disability, shall, by reason of such disability, “be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services…”
Lt. Hill responded that the school had rules, the same as a public park having rules against such activities as drinking or speeding.
When the attendees refused to leave or wear a mask, Chairman Sue Wilson adjourned the meeting at approximately 6:20 and stated that the meeting would continue in virtual format at 6:45.
The board addressed the two week review of the Covid-19 plan. As of Oct. 25, SCSD#2 has conducted its bi-weekly review of the Covid-19 plan, originally approved by the board of trustees on August 30, 2021.
The following factors were considered as part of the review:
As of October 25, 2021, Sheridan County reported the following: COVID-19 Cases: Sheridan County Residents Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve had 4,046 lab confirmed cases (+43 since Friday) Of those: 173 are active (-28 since Friday) 3,833 are recovered (+71 since Friday) 48 are confirmed deceased Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve had 1,192 probable cases (+7 since Friday) Of those: 57 are active (-17 since Friday) Currently hospitalized in Sheridan County: 18.
The board will remain consistent with the plan as approved on August 30, 2021.
Stults spoke about the third round of federal Covid-19 funds that SCSD#2 received.
In other business, Troy Decker reported the facilities updates, policy updates were read, and an update on the Parent Liason which is a program that offers support to families,
Kassahn Mathson, director, spoke about the parent liaison program which is in it’s seventh year and it is a partnership with SCSD#2 to provide support between parents and schools.
Last year during the pandemic parent liaisons worked with more families than in preceding years. She told the board about a success story about one family, that the mother had left an abusive relationship, and the parent liaison helped by settling the family into temporary housing. They also found transportation for children to and from school from the new home. Within a month, they found low-income housing for them and the kids didn’t miss a day of school.
She said that they want to extend their marketing efforts so they can continue to support families.
She introduced the other liaisons in each of the SCSD#2 schools, Amber Gable, Whitney Hoist, Lyndsey Schilleman, Kelly Rickett, Dimitra Dugal.
Stults mentioned moving the legislative round table from Nov. 15 to Nov. 8. Board approved the scheduled round table.
Rebbeca Adsit introduced the secondary principals and their plans for school improvement. She said the ACT scores will be out later this month and they will be addressed at the December board meeting. She then introduced Mike Swan of Schiffer, who gave a report on the Discovery training at Schiffer School. Teachers attended a four day Discovery training before school. Discovery is a concrete skill based program that is designed to improve student achievement.
Swan said that Schiffer currently has 64 students, and has a waiting list of other wanting to attend.
New SHS principal Dr. Mike Carnes that SHS is focusing on various ways for students to learn. “In person learning is best, but, we currently have six in our virtual academy, 14 in hybrid, and some take classes in both arenas.” He said one goal is to keep students on course to graduate. “We want to examine why kids may drop out, and help to increase graduation rates.”
He added that “It is awesome to work with students and staff at SHS.”
SJHS principal talked about SJHS and the Wright Place. She said that “We all want to make a difference in our school and our community. We offer many classes in addition to our core classes. We have a full schedule of extracurricular activities that are free to families and student.” She added that SJHS has added Discovery training.
Shawn Stevens reported on a bus disposal of an old bus. Board moved to dispose of the bus as per Stevens’ recommendation.
WSB conference was discussed, the meeting is coming up in November.
The Whitney Trustee appointments, Brandi Bilyeu, Nadine Gale, Dr. Stephen Holst, Kim Love and Pam Peldo were announced, as well as appointing Mandy Galloway as board member-at-large to the Sheridan County Rec District.
In his superintendents report, Stults had this to say about the masks for students.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50
Lori Gupton
November 2, 2021 at 8:49 am
If keeping kids in school was so important as the superintendent states, why oh why is the school board choosing to continue the masks inorder to receive more Covid funds?! That is a bold faced lie from Stultz. It’s about the money.
ray olson
November 2, 2021 at 8:50 am
Perhaps a better response would have been to arrest them for trespassing when they refused to comply with a clearly lawful order. It’s time to stop pretending that these people have the right to threaten the health and well being of others.
Thomas Jones
November 2, 2021 at 9:46 am
Every time you step out the door, your health is threatened, ray. That crack in the sidewalk, or a distraction inside your vehicle could be a matter of life and death. Maybe its best if you just stay inside your home from now on for safety’s sake.
Charlie Benjamin
November 2, 2021 at 10:21 am
That’s asinine to compare a potential deadly virus to a crack in the side walk. You must be a person who does risk analysis for the government.
Don mix
November 4, 2021 at 9:49 am
so Thomas every time you get in your vehicle, do you wear your seat belt? Is that the government trying to save your life ? You dont really have to but there could be a fine. Dam government, why does Wyoming make us do that? If the masks keeps one kid from dying or getting long coivd its way worth it.
the masks will not have to be worn for long, because the kids will soon be all vaccinated , like for measles , diphtheria , etc.
Carl Daniels
November 2, 2021 at 2:26 pm
The people who need to be arrested are the ones choosing to ignore the mental abuse inflicted on some of these children and the board is choosing to ignore it when they’ve been informed of it.
Thomas Jones
November 2, 2021 at 9:37 am
Kids shouldnt be masked, nor should the parents who are visiting the govt. school system. They do nothing to stop the spread of the covid virus. I encourage the parents of SCSD2 to remove their children from these schools until at least some sanity returns, or perhaps permanently. Keep up the good fight, parents!
Charlie Benjamin
November 2, 2021 at 10:26 am
So surgeons wear them because they match their scrubs? Masks limit not prevent the spread of disease. And anything is better than nothing when people’s lives are at stake.
Thomas Jones
November 2, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Because students are just inches from the open wounds one would find in a surgical theatre? Which mask works best, charlie? A bandanna tied around their heads, or a military grade NBC mask? Ive read studies that show the masks most people wear cause your exhaled water molecules to atomize, and linger in the air longer than a normal exhalation. Even lord faucie said that the masks dont work. “14 days to flatten the curve” – the CDC.
Charlie Benjamin
November 3, 2021 at 7:16 am
And in this case, lung tissue is exposed to pathogens with each breathe. Must of missed biology class on that day, Thomas.
Thomas Jones
November 3, 2021 at 9:35 am
Your eyes are more vulnerable to catching the virus than your lung tissue which has God given filtering mechanisms in the forms of nasal hair and mucus. The masks, by definition, arent intended to prevent you from getting the virus, but from you giving it to others. BIO101. Face shields are your best bet, charlie. By the way, did you see that the CDC changed the definition of what a vaccine is? Interesting.
C.S. Larsen
November 2, 2021 at 2:24 pm
This is incorrect, surgeons do not wear masks to prevent the spread of disease, they wear masks to protect against nasal and oral bacteria getting into the patients open wounds or sensitive areas and causing infection. Do some research and you will find that surgical masks were not specifically designed to stop the spread of a virus and there is no actual evidence that they do, and there is even less evidence that the cloth masks that most people wear does anything at all. A study from Europe last year that put masks to the test against Covid came away finding that maskwearing was statistically insignificant as to whether it stopped the spread or not… While I am not a zealot that will state definitively that masks do not work, there has been no actual study done that has proven that they do work against viruses, which makes sense as they were never designed for that purpose.
Pat Wolfe
November 4, 2021 at 8:11 am
I do believe masks began being worn in surgery so that sweat, etc would not drop on patients having surgery. Everyone should have a choice to believe as they do. There are many articles regarding masks for both sides but nor most pick the one they only want to believe. For someone such as I, I read lips, so if one is wearing a mask, I hardly can understand what is being said. There are always two sides to a question. All reported is how many deaths without taking into consideration how many recover. The thing could have been avoided, unfortunately!
Ezra Petersen
November 2, 2021 at 11:00 am
Rather masks work are not I would feel pretty, what’s the word, I’ll say off if I was a member of the school board. The City of Sheridan Council, the Sheridan County Commisioners and the state legislature do not require masks yet the school board fled into the protection of an online meeting because some massless people were more than six feet from them? I’m assuming they all do their shopping online not many masks out and about here. This was just a show. I really don’t care if masks are required in school it’s probably a good idea with so many in one building. But the meeting of the school board isn’t in a school. There are hundreds of people in a school when it is in session. It’s quite different then this meeting. Stop being so dramatic. If you feel so passionate about no mask requirements then run for this board, I’ll vote for you.
James Galloway
November 2, 2021 at 11:16 am
There is no pandemic.
Carl Daniels
November 2, 2021 at 12:25 pm
Wow, so the board actually discriminated against Douglas! That is heartbreaking and shows the depth of just how much control the board needs to have in order to show who is boss.
Thomas Jones
November 2, 2021 at 2:02 pm
They dont reply to their constituents questions either.
jay burkhart
November 4, 2021 at 2:23 pm
The schools accepted the Pharma $$$$$$$$ and obey those unconstitutional mandates. The People pay them their wages and hire them… yet kick the people and our CONSTITUIONAL LAW in the teeth. They are TRAITORS. The entirety of Sheridan City, County and the State of Wyo is committing treason and working for MARXIST One worlder interests. Correcting it is LEGAL.