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By Drew Lawson
The Times 

School sends requests to governor

Area superintendents follow up with separate letter to the governor

 

Last updated 8/24/2021 at 9:09am



DAVENPORT – School leaders and the board aren’t happy with recent mandates brought down by the state, state superintendent Chris Reykdal and Gov. Jay Inslee. After making some tweaks, the board agreed to sign on to a letter penned by Davenport superintendent Jim Kowalkowski, middle/high school principal Chad Prewitt and elementary principal Noelle Carstens to Inslee with three specific requests at the board’s Aug. 16 meeting.

The first request asked Inslee to pivot from Reykdal’s recommendation that all school employees be mandated to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Kowalkowski said around 50% of school employees are fully vaccinated with less than two weeks before the start of school, and such a mandate would heighten stress, anger and confusion among those who are choosing to not be vaccinated.

A vaccination mandate was also opposed by most of the 15 community members and parents present.

The second request was for the state to make required testing an option for employees as an alternative to receiving the vaccine, if Inslee ignores the school’s first request and opts for a vaccine mandate.

“Our staff really cares about the students, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated or not,” Prewitt said during the board meeting.

Some in the audience noted the district would risk losing staff members if a vaccine mandate was reached. Food service director Sarah Sweetser also brought up concern with the fact that school employees that are fully vaccinated don’t have to wear a mask when children are present, but the unvaccinated do.

“The mask rules should be the same across the board,” Sweetser commented, to applause from the vocal audience. “Otherwise, you’re discriminating against the people who are choosing not to get the vaccine.”

Inslee ignored these requests and announced a mandate for all K-12 public, private and charter school staff members to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at a press conference Wednesday, Aug. 18. These members must get a vaccine by Oct. 18.

The third request didn’t concern vaccines, but asked for the governor to implement metrics that will allow students to remove their masks at school if such metrics are reached.

“So far, the governor has given these directives without an end in sight or any hope for taking the masks off,” Kowalkowski said. “That’s not leadership. We need to give these kids some hope.”

The letter also emphasized the district’s ability to hold in-person school all school year last year and see little COVID-19 transmission in the school. The high school had to briefly shut down in the spring, but other than that offered in-person school all year, while the elementary school shut down just one day.

Superintendents sign similar letter

Reardan-Edwall School District superintendent Eric Sobotta had a similar letter in mind for the governor, and he received the signatures of 40 superintendents around the state when he penned such a letter to Inslee Wednesday morning, Aug. 18.

In addition to echoing Davenport’s pleas for metrics districts can look to achieve in order to de-mask, Sobotta’s letter emphasizes the mental health struggles students are currently facing and asks the governor to update the state on student mental health metrics when he also updates COVID-19 metrics.

Sobotta’s 40 signatures include his own and Kowalkowski. Other area superintendents that signed include Dan Read of Odessa and Almira, Bill Ressel in Sprague, Paul Turner in Grand Coulee Dam and Chuck Wyborney in Wilbur-Creston.

Author Bio

Drew Lawson, Editor

Author photo

Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.

 

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