Unit 40 Board on 4-3 Vote Requires Masks

The Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education Monday voted to require masks inside school buildings for the coming school year.

The vote came after testimony from eight individuals, including one high school student. Seven spoke against requiring masks with several saying the psychological toll on students and on some of the teaching staff might outweigh the danger presented by COVID-19.

One individual spoke in favor of the mask requirement, saying last school year's plan was successful in keeping case numbers down.

The vote was 4-3 in favor of requiring masks with Board President Robin Klosterman and members Jill Wendling, Desha Wear and Steve Bone voting For. Wendling and Bone said information that they could be held personally liable in a lawsuit if the district didn't require masks was a factor in voting as they did. Members Chad Thompson, Brad Waldhoff and Jane Willenborg voted against the plan. 

That vote followed a proposal that was discussed at a previous meeting. The motion was to recommend mask use for those not fully vaccinated, but that it would be optional. The vote was three Yes but four No, with Thompson, Willenborg and Waldhoff voting Yes and Klosterman, Wear, Wendling and Bone voting No. 

Asked about the decision, Thompson said he was "disappointed", saying he "felt there are other options", and saying, "I don't feel a statewide option as opposed to regional options is the way to go."

Between 60 and 70 people were present for the meeting, with the vast majority opposing requiring masks. One of those who spoke, Elizabeth Buckles, was asked for his thoughts on the Board's decision...

Klosterman, as Board President, acknowledged that "a lot of it comes down to funding. Would we lose funding? We don't know."

Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan reminded that the decision can always be revisited as additional information becomes available. 

Also Monday, the Unit 40 board hired Phillip "Brannon" Boehm and Marilynn Finke as four-hour bus drivers, Kathleen Phillips as a three-hour cook at the high school, and Susie Fleshner as a three-hour cashier at the high school, and transferred Jennifer Hall to a preschool teacher. Resignations were accepted from Suzanne Jackson and Kendra Bierman as paraprofessionals and from Jordan Andruch as fresh/soph boys basketball coach. Haley Brown was named Mustang Outreach Sponsor at the junior high school and Donna Walls was appointed fall musical director at the junior high school.