The board of trustees for Park County School District 1 held a lengthy discussion Tuesday as to whether members should continue to wear masks during its meetings.

Seated at tables spaced 6 feet apart, three trustees wore masks while three did not. Superintendent Jay Curtis was also sans mask, and one trustee, Tracy Morris, was absent. 

As the room was arranged at Tuesday’s meeting, the board was socially distanced, but if it is seated at the regular elevated dais, they are almost shoulder to shoulder. 

Curtis said the decision on whether to wear the masks was a board decision. All members of the board have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Board chairman Trace Paul noted the Centers for Disease Control continues to update its guidelines and the state has its own mask guidelines.

“So do we want to make it optional?” Paul asked the board in general.

Board member Greg Borcher pointed out that, since everyone had been vaccinated, the CDC was of the opinion that masks were no longer needed in that setting.

Paul and member Kim Dillivan each said they were comfortable with masks being optional. However, member Laura Riley said that, since the school staff and students were required to wear masks when social distancing wasn’t possible, the board should continue to wear them as well in meetings out of respect. 

“From an example standpoint, you mean?” Paul queried.

“Well, yes, and to stand united on the part of Park County School District 1,” she replied.

“It is a good example and Laura makes a good point,” added board member Lillian Brazelton. “And if one board member wants us to wear one, out of respect we ought to wear them.”

There was one board member with a strong opinion. Don Hansen had an organ transplant in 2018 and since has been on anti-rejection drugs. He noted that the immunosuppressants could also suppress the work of the COVID vaccine, but because of the small number of patients in his situation, researchers just don’t know if that is the case. 

Hansen said he expected to wear a mask in public spaces for the rest of his life and that at the last school board meeting, when the regular seating arrangement was used, he was uncomfortable being that close to others, even masked.

“I’d like for you all to [continue] to wear them, but I can’t make you wear them,” he said. Hansen added that for him, avoiding contracting the virus was literally a matter of life or death. 

At the end of the discussion, the consensus was if the board could not socially distance, all members should wear masks.

Curtis said he was trying out a new tool for streaming the meetings to social media. Called a Meeting Owl, the device features a camera apparatus that can show the entire meeting room in wide view, with a picture in a picture, focusing on the speaker. Although the arrangement will need an additional, unshared internet connection, it will record the meetings, add closed captioning so the district remains compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and then upload the meetings to the district’s social media page. It should be fully functional and in use by early May, Curtis said.