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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Schools Board of Education will vote on the proposed $60.85 million bond issue and updates to the mask policy at 6 p.m. today at the Jefferson Elementary Center.
The board is scheduled to vote on calling a special election on the bond for May 10, primary election day in West Virginia.
The bond call includes closure of existing Lubeck Elementary School and the construction of a new Lubeck Elementary, the closure of the existing Neale Elementary and Vienna Elementary schools and the construction of a new consolidated elementary school and the closure of existing Criss Elementary and Emerson Elementary schools and the construction of a new consolidated elementary school.
The mask policy was approved in August and requires students, staff and visitors to wear a mask while the county is red or orange on the County Alert System map. The policy can change if the county goes gold or better and remains there for five days.
Wood County went gold on Feb. 3.
If approved, effective Wednesday, the changes include:
* As long as individual schools are below a 5 percent threshold of positive student COVID-19 infections, there shall not be a mask requirement within that school. Above 5 percent, masks will be required as a form of mitigation until such time as the positivity rate is below 5 percent.
* As long as individual schools are below 5 percent threshold, no seating charts shall be required or maintained. Once above the threshold, the superintendent could direct seating charts at his sole discretion.
* The superintendent may make other necessary actions and may implement practices, including but not limited to mitigation measures that he deems necessary in response to the COVID-19 pandemic/endemic, provided such actions and practices are consistent with the rules and policies of the Board.
* Quarantining shall be in accordance with DHHR written directions/state code. The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department has the quarantine authority as quarantining is a codified jurisdiction of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department.
* Employees of the Wood County Board of Education are not required to perform duties outside of regular school hours or required to work overtime to assist the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department with contact tracing. Wood County Board of Education employees will not perform contact tracing on behalf of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department.
* The policy passed by the Wood County Board of Education does not preclude anyone from wearing a proper health mask as long as the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department continues to recommend universal mask wearing.
The public is invited to address the board during the meeting.
Larry Launstein Jr. can be reached at llaunstein@newsandsentinel.com.