Fayette teachers afraid district meeting at Rupp Arena without masks could spread COVID

Some teachers in Fayette County Public Schools are concerned that an upcoming required event for all district employees at Rupp Arena will spread COVID-19 if staff aren’t required to wear masks.

Laura Hartke, an organizer for the union Kentucky 120United-AFT said Monday that “mandatory masking should be in effect considering that Fayette County” is in a red zone and the federal Centers for Disease Control recommends masking.

In a poll, “eighty-five percent of members said they did not feel safe,” said Hartke. “All Fayette staff will be indoors for hours just days before school starts and people are concerned that that might not be a good thing.”

The first day of school in Fayette County Public Schools is August 10. The convocation at Rupp is August 8.

In an email sent to staff Monday, district officials said every attendee will receive welcome packets that include masks and hand sanitizer at their work site. “

The district policy on wearing masks of ‘Either Way is OK’ remains in place and will continue into the school year, the message said. All employees are encouraged to be fully vaccinated and boosted and to take precautions, said the message.

“We’ve always followed what the health department and CDC said before, so I’m not real sure why we are not doing it now,” Hartke said.

One concern is that staff will be riding buses from each location to Rupp Arena.

The policy of letting staff decide for themselves to wear masks or not was OK when COVID cases were lower last year and vaccines were considered effective, Hartke said.

But now, Hartke said, “Cases are surging. We are in the red.”

Jefferson County Schools, the state’s largest district, are now requiring masks in school buildings because of that county’s “red status” or high number of cases.

Fayette Superintendent Dementrus Liggins said in response to the union member’s concerns that, “Celebration in the workplace is an important part of building a team, energizing staff, and creating a culture of enjoyment and recognition. “

After several years of dealing with “unimaginable challenges in education,” this year’s convocation will not only provide an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of the past year but will also be the first time the entire district team is introduced to the tenets of the district’s newly adopted strategic plan, “A New Way Forward,” Liggins said.

“Although I have been FCPS superintendent for a year now, I have never had the opportunity to address all employees at the same time,” he said.

“Setting common expectations and establishing a shared vision is critical if we are to provide a world-class education for every student because each employee plays a role in making that possible. Every employee matters, and given the nature of the school district calendar and various employee contracts, August 8 is the only time that we can assemble all of our employees to hear the same message,” he said.

The superintendent and the FCPS Core COVID-19 Team continue to meet with health officials, he said. Liggins said a decision about masking for the coming school year has not been made although a current policy of “Either Way is OK,” continues to be in place.

The health and safety of employees and students is always a number one priority and the experiences of the past two years have shown district officials that there has been very little transmission on the school bus and during school assemblies, even after our “Either Way is OK” policy was implemented, Liggins said.

As always, employees who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive for COVID-19 are directed to stay home,” he said.

“We strongly recommend all employees be fully vaccinated and take precautions appropriate for their individual circumstances,” said Liggins.

At Monday night’s school board meeting, Chuck Eddy of Lexington said Fayette County Public Schools should begin the year with a mask requirement because Fayette County is in the red zone for COVID.

He said the convocation for staff should be mask required. It is not now.

“That’s so it does not turn into a super spreader event,” Eddy said.

“God forbid we should have a lot of school personnel enjoy the convocation and test positive and that screw up our opening of school,” said Eddy.

Staff and students across the state have previously died from COVID, said Eddy. “We don’t need to lose anymore.”

Since the pandemic began, two federal OSHA investigations have delved into Fayette school staff deaths, according to online records.

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 2:35 PM.