VASSALBORO: Mothers want to nix mask requirement

Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

At their Feb. 15 meeting, Vassalboro School Board members again heard from half a dozen mothers who do not want their children to wear masks in school. Board members corrected two pieces of misinformation the parents had heard, and Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said he is “incredibly hopeful” that if Maine’s covid cases continue to decline, requirements will ease.

Mothers said their children “hate masks” and are therefore unenthusiastic about school, and masks worsen the health of children with asthma and other conditions that affect their breathing.

Some parents had heard that students are forbidden to talk in the cafeteria while they are eating with their masks off. Assistant Principal Greg Hughes said talking is allowed, although lunchroom monitors prefer conversations after students finish eating and put their masks on again.

Some teachers are stricter than others about silencing students, one parent commented.

The other incorrect information the group quoted was that Maine schools get extra state funds if they require masks. Absolutely untrue, Pfeiffer, board chairman Kevin Levasseur and Finance Director Paula Pooler all said.

Pfeiffer said he and other superintendents have been meeting with half a dozen Maine education and health groups and government officials to talk about the masking requirement. Depending on what the pandemic does, new state guidance might be issued in a month or so, he said. The parents were audibly displeased at the prospect of no action for a month.

In other business, Pfeiffer reported that 19 students have registered to attend pre-kindergarten at Vassalboro Community School (VCS) in the 2022-23 school year. To take advantage of offered state funding for a second pre-k class, 30 or more students are needed. He encouraged board and audience members to spread the word.

He further reported that the shortage of substitute teachers continues.

Food Service Director John Hersey is working on a survey to be sent to students and parents about the school lunch menu, Pfeiffer said. The goal is to increase participation in the free school lunch program by making menus more appealing.

The VCS Vikings website is being redone, with the new version scheduled to be ready Feb. 27, Pfeiffer said. He expects it will help people find what they want “with fewer clicks.”

Board members’ next big project is development of the 2022-23 school budget request. They scheduled a preliminary discussion for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, in the VCS gymnasium.

At Pfeiffer’s request, to give him more time to draft a budget, they postponed their regular March meeting by one week, to Tuesday, March 22 “from 6 p.m. to midnight,” Pfeiffer threatened.

School board budget meetings, like regular meetings, are open to the public to watch and listen.