School Board Hears Community Comments on Vaccines

At Hayfork High School on Nov. 10, the Mountain Valley Unified School District board meeting focused on two main topics: vaccine mandates and the Hyampom school property. There was a large number of community members present to comment on these issues.

Vaccine Mandates

In a survey, Mountain Valley has found that it would be hit hard by a student vaccine mandate as 40% of students would likely drop their attendance, opt for home-schooling, or other school options. The students at HHS also took a survey on how they feel towards their future and MVUSD Principal and Superintendent Anmarie Swanstrom said the results found that students are feeling “hopeless and fearful.”

The board said the district doesn’t know what’s going to happen and it’s frustrating work within the law. Swanstrom then stated, “We don’t actually know what the legislator is going to do.” The board is working on a letter, stating how severely Trinity County would be affected, to send to the state legislators.

Swanstrom opened the vaccine discussion by stating: “We (MVUSD) will not be taking any disciplinary action against the staff.” She clarified that this means the staff members who currently are not in compliance with the vaccine mandate or the weekly testing will not be penalized.

Shane McDonald, Angelina Rodrigues, Christian Cavalli, Kelly Wiley, and Brandi Perroni publicly stated that they will pull their kids out of school if the vaccine is mandated for students. Kelly Wiley said, “We need to send a message to California that we are not going to do it.” Adding to her comments, another parent Angelina Rodrigues echoed statements of other parents: “We should have a choice.”

The Hyampom School Property

In 1986, Hyampom Elementary School was transferred to MVUSD. The school closed due to the lack of enrollment in 2015 and then 2017, mold was discovered.

Larry Winter asked the board to return the property back to the Hyampom community. He stated that this conversation started in 2018, and as a result, a community nonprofit was formed for the purposes of creating a multi-purpose center using the school building.

Winter and other Hyampom community members present were hopeful to regain what was once considered an anchor in the community. Some activity ideas that were suggested consisted of a community garden, clean air place, and a recreational center for kids.

News from HHS

At Hayfork High School, the brand new shop has opened with new machinery and as ASB Student Representative Andy Yang said, “The students are very excited.”

Ag Teacher Morgan Rourke announced that the agricultural science program received an incentive grant of $12,000.

Richard Olsen, head of construction, stated that the high school is 98% done and the elementary school is “showing good progress.” Olsen then said that the elementary school should be moving in by Feb. 1, 2022.

New Board Member Appointed

Prior to the regularly scheduled meeting, the board also appointed a new board member, Heather Gossman, to replace Keith Wright, who passed away in September.

In addition to swearing in Gossman, the board took a moment to commemorate Wright, “He was an inquisitive board member with a great sense of humour,” said Cindy Winter, MVUSD board president.

Kenny Wiley added, “He had some sort of influence on everyone’s lives … I’m honored to have had a little bit of time with him in this life.”

Board members stated that they were thankful for the strong attendance and reminded everyone that it’s important to show up to all meetings so they can hear community opinions, requests, and statements.

The next board meeting is schedule for Wednesday, Dec. 15. You can find previous meeting minutes and agendas at MVUSD’s website here.

You can also read more from The Trinity Journal about the vaccine debate here.