LPOSD COVID guidelines prompt debate

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SANDPOINT — Parents, staff and health officials weighed in on the Lake Pend Oreille School District’s recently adopted COVID guidelines for the upcoming school year.

Janine Shepard opened the time of public comment and used her three minutes to pray for the school board and staff to have godly counsel and wisdom. She went on to pray for repentance and revival across the nation.

Pam Webb, an English teacher at Sandpoint High School said that schools practice fire drills and shooter drills. And recently purchased buses with seat belts. The reason is that everyone cares about safety. As an educator, she said it is important that she feel safe where she works.

Webb went on to say that she was concerned that Bonner County is still in the red status.

“Last year, when we were in red status we were in masks. We're in red now, and we're not doing masks. This is a choice. I don't feel that safety is a personal choice,” Webb said. “I want to see my kids in my classroom.”

“It's not a political statement to wear masks. It's not a personal choice at this point. We have some serious decisions to accept,” said Webb.

After the statement of safety being a choice, audience members began voicing differing opinions from their seats. That prompted board chairwoman, Geraldine Lewis, to remind the audience that public comment time is not an open comment time.

In response to Webb, Melinda Rossman, principal of the Homeschool Academy speaking as a private citizen, said she disagreed.

"We're being fed nothing but lies in the media and it's affecting every aspect of our lives,” she said. “On a daily basis, CDC, NIH, FDA, change their wording and it's affecting everything we do. It's creating a divisiveness like never before."

“We as a community need to come together and seek the truth together and respect each other's opinions. If you want to cover your face, that's your choice. I choose not to because I have a different truth through facts and research,” Rossman said.

Dr. Scott Dunn, a physician at Family Health Center spoke on the “facts as they know them” when it comes to the delta variant.

“Myself and my colleagues believe that in-person learning is vital for our students,” said Dunn.

The most recent numbers that he could acquire, Dunn said that Bonner General has five COVID cases. Three are in medical, two in the ICU and one on a ventilator. The capacity for new patients right now is zero on medical and zero in the ICU, said Dunn.

For somebody new to be admitted a patient has to be discharged, Dunn said, adding oxygen supplies have been running below due to the phenomenal demand. On an urgent basis over the weekend Bonner General had to install an extra 1,500-gallon bulk oxygen tank just to maintain their supply, said Dunn.

Dr. Carol Waters, also of the Family Health Center, spoke on the board policy of parents monitoring their own kids.

“The problem with relying on parents to monitor symptoms and their kids is that the delta variant is also affecting kids that may be asymptomatic, particularly if they've been vaccinated,” said Waters.

Just because someone is vaccinated that doesn’t mean they don't have a viral load of COVID in their nose that they will pass to other children in the school, said Waters.

“With the delta variant, it's not only two to three times more contagious, it also has a shorter incubation. And it's seeming to infect younger patients than the original virus did, and also infect them more severely,” said Waters.

While everyone is tired of COVID and tired of the pandemic, everyone is trying to figure out how to mitigate it, but just because we’re tired doesn’t make it go away, said Waters.

“So we respectfully ask you to consider the facts, consider science, and reinstitute a mass mandate for the fall,” said Waters to the board.

Kristin Dodd, a parent of a LPOSD student, responded to Webb.

“Safety isn't a choice. Safety isn't guaranteed and absolutely is a personal and individual responsibility,” she said. “We have to assess risk and everything we do. No one else can or should do that for us.”

“There are proven treatments for COVID. There's really no need for most people with a good immune system to ever end up in the hospital or die,” said Dodd.

Dodd spoke on LPOSD’s past meeting when Rob Hart from the Bonner County Housing Agency pitched their income-based employee/employer housing program.

“After doing some research, it seems to me that if LPOSD entered into a partnership with BCHA, the board would be using tax dollars to invest in properties. I could be wrong, I need to educate myself a little more on the public/ private sector compete statutes,” said Dodd.

The board should be made aware of possible serious legal ramifications, said Dodd, she requested that all discussion on the matter be held in an open meeting, and not during an executive session.

“I think the public should absolutely be present for any discussion on that matter,” said Dodd.

Superintendent Tom Albertson, at the request of the board, presented data in the community with respect to COVID.

“Almost all patients in our local hospital were unvaccinated. This is an option. We are not requiring vaccinations. I can just say that I wanted to pass on the data,” Albertson said.

Last year in LPOSD, there were 184 positive tests for both students and staff.

In the Panhandle Health District from the start of COVID for children under 18, there were 2,800 positive test results, 23 hospitalizations and zero deaths, said the superintendent.

Every Friday superintendents across the Panhandle have a phone call with the PHD and receive the latest information.

As of August 20, of all ages eligible for COVID vaccination Bonner County is at 42%. In the PHD, 12% of 12-15-year-olds are vaccinated. Of 16-18-year-olds, 19% are vaccinated, said the superintendent.

The information collected for the board meeting will be sent out to families. Some families may not like it, but should take the information under consideration, Albertson said. Wearing a face covering when inside and social distancing cannot be maintained is recommended.

While he asked people to consider that, Albertson noted it was not a requirement.