FCSD #1 will no longer conduct contact tracing or apply Covid-19 protocols from January 3

(Lander, WY) – In a 4-3 vote, Fremont County School District (FCSD) School Board No. 1 passed a motion stating that staff and administration will no longer conduct contact tracing and notification Covid-19, nor will enforce Covid-19 protocols.

The decision was made at the December 14 school board meeting, where the board asked Superintendent Dr. Dave Barker to notify the Wyoming Department of Health and district stakeholders that the motion will go into effect. effective January 3.

Those in favor of the motion, moved by Vice Chairman Scott Jensen, included Jensen, members Brett Berg and Taylor Jacobs, and chairman Jared Kail.

Those against included Treasurer Michelle Escudero, Clerk Dr. Kathy Hitt and Member Teresa Nirider.

Jensen moved the motion based on the following recognitions:

1 – Covid-19 transmission rates in Fremont County and the State of Wyoming are very low and declining;

2 – Throughout the duration of the pandemic, the rate of transmission of Covid-19 among students and staff has always been lower than the rate in the community as a whole;

3 – The number of active cases of Covid-19 in the District is equal to or close to zero;

4 – A vaccine against Covid-19 for all adults and school-aged children is widely available;

5 – Contact tracing and application of protocol unduly burdens staff and administration and distracts from the primary mission of the district;

6 – The Wyoming Department of Health has the expertise and both the mandate and responsibility to perform contact tracing and quarantine notification during a public health crisis;

The Board encourages “all students and staff to follow the recommendations they receive from WDH when conducting contact tracing,” and also recommends that “all students, parents, and district staff strive to be responsible citizens, who respect each other and take personal responsibility in limiting the spread of Covid-19 and other communicable diseases by continuing to adhere to current District policies.