Schools ponder basketball safety issues: Calais to bar remote students

During a heated meeting on December 16, the Calais School Committee revisited the issue of whether students who are learning remotely should be allowed to participate in winter sports. Noting that the motion passed at the December 2 meeting only stated that the committee voted "to approve participating in winter sports under Maine Principals' Association recommendations and guidelines," concerns had been raised by parents of remote learning students that they were not being allowed to participate in winter sports. Principal Mary Anne Spearin explained to the board her decision concerning participation as being an attempt to minimize the potential exposure of remote learning students to other students and followed the apparent intent of the December 2 motion.
A parent of a remote learner addressed the committee, stating, "As a parent, and I appreciate all the safety guidelines that you've followed." However, she was interrupted by committee Vice Chair Robert Greenlaw, who stated, "Well, we had to. You called the state on us." When the parent responded that she had not, Greenlaw interjected, "B-------!" Another person in the audience then commented, "That's why the community won't come to the meetings -- they feel bullied."
The comments from the citizens in attendance varied from frustrated with the committee to supportive, with one participant noting that the committee was "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Concerns over the disparate treatment of the remote learners included the apparent discriminatory nature of the prohibition on sports participation while allowing traditional home-schooled students to participate.
Superintendent Ron Jenkins advised that the proposed restriction on remote learners could be "problematic." Greenlaw then stated, "We can solve this whole thing right now. Bring everybody back to school five days a week." Chair Joe Footer responded, "I'd vote for that."
Referring to the roughly 40% of students who are attending school via remote learning, a citizen stated, "At some point in time this board was put in the position of putting in place new rules for the 40 percenters but not the 60 percenters," suggesting that the action discriminated against the 40% who attend school as remote learners. Greenlaw responded, "I don't believe that. That's crap. You know what? How come nobody [complained] about this when we did it in fall sports?"
Spearin and Jenkins pointed out that no virtual learning student had requested to play fall sports, so the issue never came up.
Following nearly an hour of sometimes rancorous debate, the committee voted to "approve the procedure to have extracurricular activities done so by in school students with a virtual option for virtual students." Committee members Greenlaw, Footer and James Macdonald voted in favor while members Celia Geel and Michael Chadwick abstained.
Additional discussion continued around reopening Calais schools. The superintendent advised the committee that the grant requirements that are being followed appear to end with the funding period at the end of December, although the executive orders by the governor would still apply, to which both Footer and Greenlaw responded that the state guidelines are "ridiculous." Footer described the disparity in the guidelines between schools and dining establishments, noting that in school they are not allowed to seat eight students at a table for lunch, but at the end of the school day those same eight students can all go to Caesar's Pub and Grill and sit unmasked at the same table.
In other business, the committee approved hiring Elizabeth Rawlins as an ed tech III at the St. Croix Regional Technical Center and set the next meeting for Wednesday, January 6.
Following an executive session, the committee voted unanimously to extend Superintendent Ron Jenkins' contract through June 30, 2022, under the terms of his current contract.