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Board split over continuing Zoom meetings; phone commenters clash on middle-school LGBTQ club
Summary
The board chair held this meeting via Zoom and solicited input; trustees and the superintendent weighed staff-safety concerns against public access. During public comment, a caller criticized a proposed middle-school LGBTQ club while others urged education and dialogue.
Board chair opened discussion about continuing Zoom meetings and asked trustees for input after announcing his decision to hold that night's meeting virtually for COVID safety.
Trustees were divided. One member said participation in person should be optional and defended public access; another said he called the chair to express displeasure that convening virtually might limit community engagement. Superintendent Brad Capener urged caution, noting that if several administrators were exposed in a single meeting they could be required to quarantine for 10 days and that would hamstring operations. Capener suggested alternatives such as using a larger space (gym) to spread participants or continuing virtual options for the public. Amber Coffees pointed to recent policy guidance (cited in the packet as "HB 2560") and noted the district has been operating with online access since July 2020.
The chair said he would consider board input and decide soon. He also said staff could attend virtually if desired and emphasized improving AV so remote participants can hear better.
During public comment, a caller identified by the chair as John Peterson criticized a middle-school announcement about a proposed LGBTQ club and said the club was inappropriate for young children; his remarks included charged language and accusations that the district was "exploiting children." Another caller, who identified himself as Eric, disagreed with Peterson and urged more educational conversation and protection for LGBTQ students, saying quick responses by administrators had been appreciated. Administrators said they had treated the request for a club as comparable to other student clubs and that allowing or denying a student club could raise legal issues if clubs were treated inconsistently.
No formal board action was taken on the format of future meetings at this session; the chair said he would make a decision soon and staff will continue to provide online access for public participation.
