Here & Now

A Rural School District's Pandemic Priorities

Zac Schultz:

We are one week into the school year and already we’re seeing children being quarantined at schools around the state in order to prevent further outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus. Each school district has come up with their own plan on how to handle this. First we head to northern Wisconsin and Claire Martin who is the interim district administrator at Lakeland Union High School based in Minocqua. Thanks for your time today.

Claire Martin:

Absolutely, happy to be here.

Zac Schultz:

One week in, have you had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 yet `in your school district this year?

Claire Martin:

Yes, we have.

Zac Schultz:

And how are you handling that? What’s the plan in place to deal with these outbreaks?

Claire Martin:

Well, when students are identified, most of them will connect with our school nurse. She’s the one that is keeping control of our data. And they are sent home to quarantine and there is no difference in our policy whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated because we’re a union high school, our students are eligible for vaccinations. They need to quarantine. If they have a negative test, then they can return to the school. They have to live out the duration of the quarantine but then they’re able to come back. We request they test within three to five days of symptoms.

Zac Schultz:

Lakeland Union is making masks optional. Was that your decision or the school board’s decision?

Claire Martin:

Well, that was a decision that was actually started before I arrived here. I’m new this year to the school district, so the previous administration was working on that plan and had brought it to the board’s attention prior to my coming. But then the board did approve a mask optional plan shortly before school started.

Zac Schultz:

Was there a lot of community outreach in that? I mean, how much did local politics play into a decision that big when we’re talking about students who are largely unvaccinated if they’re under the age of 12?

Claire Martin:

Right. Actually, we had two meetings regarding this. The first meeting was really a discussion where the plan was unveiled to the board. And I would say we had, I don’t know, maybe 10 to 12 community members that were there. It was very respectful. People offered their input to the board. The board took it into consideration. Then they held a second meeting where they noticed it on their agenda where they were going to vote and approve the plan. They made some changes to the plan at that point. Again, we had community members come forward, I would say 8 to 10. Most of those people were anti-mask people. We really didn’t hear from anyone in the community at either of those meetings that were pro-mask. The board also listened to the advice of their medical adviser at that meeting and then they proceeded to approve the plan.

Zac Schultz:

Now, at what point would you ask the school board to reconsider? For instance, a study by the CDC showed an outbreak in schools with no masks and no testing could infect 90% of students. Do you plan to keep looking at this if the outbreaks continue?

Claire Martin:

Absolutely. In fact, when the board approved the plan, I asked them to read a statement prior to the approval that gives the administration the ability to read the data, watch the trends and adjust the plan as needed. Clearly we’re going to have to bring those recommendations forward to our board and our community. But the understanding is this is very fluid and we’re going to have to be fluid along with the data and react accordingly. Our goal at Lakeland Union High School is to keep our school open every day of the school year. In order to do that, we may need to make some changes.

Zac Schultz:

Now, I’ve read that there isn’t a school district north of Stevens Point that is requiring masks this year. Do the communities in northern Wisconsin not worry about COVID-19 or do they think of it differently when it comes to students?

Claire Martin:

No. I don’t think so. I just think that it’s a highly personal decision, and I think that people, all people, whether they’re pro-mask or not pro-mask, are concerned about the health and safety of their children. It’s just become a very political issue, as you know, and in some cases unfortunately has become quite divisive in school districts and even in families. So we’re just trying to be sensitive to that and allow parents to make the best decision they can for their child.

Zac Schultz:

Now, on the Department of Health Services website it says the vaccination rate in Oneida County is around 60%, but obviously no kids under the age of 12 are vaccinated. Are you doing anything different in elementary schools as opposed to a high school where kids at least have a choice to be vaccinated?

Claire Martin:

Well, as you know, our district is only a high school district, so we only have high school students here, grades 9 through 12. I can’t speak to what the elementary schools might be doing in that regard.

Zac Schultz:

Now, are you testing in school or are you relying on parents getting their kids tested elsewhere and then notifying the school?

Claire Martin:

We’re requesting that families take their children to the Marshfield Clinic testing center, which is literally across the street from our high school, for testing. I know that some schools that don’t have health facilities quite as accessible as we do are testing within their school but we are not.

Zac Schultz:

The federal COVID Relief Bill sent a lot of money to schools to deal with the impact of the pandemic. How much money does your district have left and will that be enough if COVID outbreaks keep happening?

Claire Martin:

Well, my understanding is that there are three roll-outs of this funding. The first two roll-outs have already occurred. Lakeland Union High School has already expended most, if not all, of the first two allotments. The third is coming. It’s called ESSER funds and we’re anticipating that will be state approved maybe the end of this month, sometime in October and that will be a significant amount of funds that we will be able to use to help us in this — during these pandemic times.

Zac Schultz:

Now, Republicans in the state Legislature used the existence of that incoming federal funding to justify not increasing state aid to schools. We have just about a minute left. What does your overall budget look like for this coming school year?

Claire Martin:

Well, the ESSER are going to help us tremendously in providing support to kids that need it that have been really affected by this pandemic socially and emotionally. And so I’m glad that that in fact did not occur and that those funds are going to be here to help our students.

Zac Schultz:

All right. Claire Martin from Lakeland Union, thank you very much for your time today.

Claire Martin:

Thank you. Have a good night.