Some Yosemite Unified parents concerned over district's COVID protocols

It was a heated exchange inside the Yosemite High School cafeteria between parents who didn't want to mask up and those who did.
Thursday, September 16, 2021
OAKHURST, Calif. (KFSN) -- Masks were a must at the Monday night at the Yosemite Unified School Board meeting.

But that didn't go over well with all of the parents and public in attendance.
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"They wouldn't start the meeting unless parents were masked up, so there was a long period where we all just sat in there," says Dahnyalle Reden.

It was a heated exchange inside the Yosemite High School cafeteria between parents who didn't want to mask up and those who did.

"We couldn't start the meeting because parents refused to mask up inside the gym," Christina Mendonca told Action News. "They started screaming at the board."

"In order to provide an opportunity for them to be involved, we came to this compromise where we had the meeting outside," says Superintendent Glen Billington.



Public comment was taken to the football stadium.
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"They called it a compromise. I don't think it was a compromise. I think the disruptive parents should have been removed," said Mendonca.

That's where the meeting picked up Wednesday night, with the public back in the bleachers and several sheriff deputies standing by.

Some parents came to the podium in support of the board enforcing mask policies at district meetings and on campus.

Others were vocal about their concerns related to COVID protocols.

"Constant quarantines going on, the testing is in masses, resulting in more quarantines," Reden said. "I just want my kid to be able to have the same education that those who are vaccinated in those who are on campus has. I want him to have the same resources available to him that they do."
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Billington says when it comes to bridging the gap for kids forced to quarantine because of COVID exposure, there's room for teachers to improve.



"This is a difficult situation," he said. "We have teachers working to provide curriculum. It's not perfect. We have room to grow and we have made improvements already."

The next board meeting is scheduled to take place on October 11. It's still unclear if it will be held outdoors at the stadium once again.

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