At the Oct. 5 Anchorage School Board meeting, board member Dave Donley tried several times to amend the Covid-19 mitigation plan that was being voted on. Every one of his amendments failed.
First, Donley tried to insert language that would have the Anchorage School District using the same school-by-school masking policy that is being used in the Mat-Su, rather than the one-size-fits-all masking plan offered by the superintendent. Although he said the Mat-Su policy, which allows each school to adopt or relax masking rules for students and teachers, was sensible, that idea failed to even get a second.
Donley then tried to insert language to have the plan adopt a school-by-school masking plan similar to what is being used by the Kenai School District. There was no second for that, either.
He then offered something to give relief to the youngest students, asking that the plan be revised to reinstate the summer school “optional masking policy” for kindergarten and first graders. It failed to get a second.
Next, Donley offered an amendment that simply said “The Board encourages the Superintendent to remove the mandatory mask policy as soon as it is safe to do so.” It failed on a 5-2 vote.
His next amendment, to encourage the superintendent to purchase and deploy additional Covid testing equipment, also failed, on a 4-3 vote.
Donley tried to add, “The Board acknowledges that use of the vaccine for children ages 13 -15 is under an Emergency Use Authorization of the CDC and is not FDA approved,” but that failed with no second.
Ultimately the “Start Strong Plan” was approved by the board on a vote of 6-1, with Donley dissenting.
