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NF school board adopts 10-day paid leave for teachers who contract COVID-19, reaffirm bus mask policy

Amy Wilder, Staff Writer
Posted 8/24/21

Members of the New Franklin Board of Education approved a special 10-day paid leave allowance for teachers if they test positive for the COVID-19 virus this fall semester. The measure was passed …

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NF school board adopts 10-day paid leave for teachers who contract COVID-19, reaffirm bus mask policy

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Members of the New Franklin Board of Education approved a special 10-day paid leave allowance for teachers if they test positive for the COVID-19 virus this fall semester. The measure was passed during the board’s regular meeting on Wednesday, August 18.

The board also passed budget revision, prompted by the determination of the tax rate—which is holding at 5.2496%, the same as last year.

The district had a similar provision in place for the 2020-21 school year, and made its determination last week based on the current CDC recommendation for anyone who tests positive for the virus to isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status. The board consulted Stacy Wells, RN, who works as a nurse for the district. She said based on an informal survey sent out this summer, approximately half of teachers and staff in the district have received vaccinations.

This leave policy would be in place “basically so a teacher wouldn’t have to use their own personal sick leave that they built up,” if they became infected with the virus, said board treasurer Travis Hundley.

Board President Jeff Chitwood reminded board members that vaccinated staff no longer have to quarantine based on exposure to the virus. “Basically the only time they’re going to use any is if they’re really sick with COVID.” The board will revisit the policy prior to the spring semester to determine whether the 10-day leave provision will be extended. 

In addition to the leave policy, the board discussed the allocation of ESSER III stimulus money. Superintendent Brian Cordel reported that the district will receive $629,849. “We haven’t received indication yet about how soon it will arrive,” he said. The school needed to submit a budget grid as part of the process for receiving the funds.

He said 20%, or $125,969, will be designated for the curriculum. “That we have to do, he said. It’s up to our choice for the rest of the money.”

He added that many districts are voting to put the remainder into Fund 1. “The good thing about that is that you can pull over from that anything that you want to spend at any time, basically,” Cordel said. The board voted 6-0 to put the remaining funds into Fund 1.

The board also addressed questions they have received from the community regarding the mandate for face coverings to be worn on buses. Cordel said he contacted the Missouri Association of School Administrators and the school’s attorneys. He read from one of the emails he’d received from the school’s attorney which stated that “school buses are considered federal transportation and covered under the order requiring masks on federal transportation. It is the same rule that covers all public means of transportation such as airplanes and ride-sharing vehicles.

He continued to read, “It’s not guidance. It’s a federal order, which has the power of federal law. The CDC issued the order but it came forth on a presidential executive order. If the district violated the federal law by not enforcing this bus mask mandate, and a child gets sick and dies, it can jeopardize insurance status in the COVID immunity statute, because it could be argued as willful conduct… as well as possibly losing federal funding.” After discussion, the board agreed that there’s no question about the need to comply with the mandate.  

High school and middle school principal Benji Dorson indicated in his report to the board that enrollment numbers for high school are at 140 students, with between 90 and 92 students anticipated at the middle school level. Elementary School Principal Dawn Shipp reported enrollment numbers at 184 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and 28 enrolled at the preschool level. 

The New Franklin Board of Education meets regularly on the third Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. Meetings are open and the public is invited.

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