No mandate firings in six districts

Despite fears about mass layoffs, six of the seven school districts in Mason County did not fire any employees for not meeting the state mandate to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

In the Shelton School District, six teachers and 25 classified employees were dismissed effective Oct. 19. The Shelton School Board made that move official with a 3-2 vote at its meeting Tuesday evening following impassioned words from parents, district administrators, and former and current board members.

According to Katie Diamond, the district’s communications specialist, 98.3% of the district’s employees met the governor’s mandate, with 714 of the 764 employees vaccinated. That includes substitutes and hourly employees, she said.

The Pioneer School District didn’t dismiss any employees, said Superintendent Jill Diehl. Of the district’s 98 employees, 91 are fully vaccinated and seven employees received a religious or medical exemption, she said.

In the Grapeview School District, no employees asked for an exemption and none were dismissed, said Superintendent Kurt Hilyard.

The North Mason School District did not dismiss any employees, said Superintendent Dana Rosenbach.

The Hood Canal School District also did not dismiss any employees, with four employees receiving exemptions for religious reasons, one for medical reasons, said Superintendent Nikki Grubbs.

In the Mary M. Knight School District, all certified teachers received vaccinations by Oct. 18, and all classified staff employees who have direct contact with students did as well, said Superintendent Matt Mallery. Six employees filed for exemptions and received them, he said.

The Southside School District “had 100 percent compliance with the governor’s executive order,” wrote Superintendent Paul Wieneke.

“Ninety percent of staff who work closely with students are fully vaccinated,” he wrote. “Specific mitigation measures for the small number of religious and medical exemptions will ensure that staff and students remain safe and healthy at school.”

At the Shelton School Board’s Tuesday meeting, the dismissals were listed on the district’s personnel actions as part of the common consent agenda.

Board member Marty Best requested that the move be pulled from the consent agenda for discussion. He asked what would happen if the district didn’t fire anyone for failing to get the vaccine or an exemption.

Best also asked why other Mason County school districts seem to accommodate more requests for religious and health exemptions.

Both Superintendent Wyatt Jessee and finance director Brenda Trogstad said the state would withhold funds to the district for not meeting the mandate.

Jessee outlined the process that led to the dismissals. Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Office of Public Instruction mandated the employee vaccinations and the district also received instructions from Office of Safety and Health Administration. The district worked with employee unions and legal counsel on the process, and every employee who sought an exemption received at least two one-on-one meetings with the district, he said.

The district granted 53 exemptions, and denied only one exemption request, Jessee said.

In the 3-2 vote, board members Sally Karr, Sally Brownfield and Keri Davidson voted for the dismissals, and Best and Sandy Tarzwell voted against them.

The meeting came two weeks after a board meeting where Best said the governor does not have the authority to create the vaccination mandate and called the climate “medical McCarthyism,” and Tarzwell compared the mandate to Germany using the concept of “public good” to kill 6 million Jews in concentration camps.

During board comments at the end of the meeting, Best said he is sorry for his comments.

“I said things that were harmful and hurtful to some and I apologize,” he said.

Tarzwell did not mention her previous comments.

During public comments Tuesday, Debbie Simmons said her child dropped out of school because of distance learning, and she is disgusted by the dismissal of teachers.

Some students “have lost the one person who was their safety net,” she said, adding she will never vote to support another district bond or levy.

Another parent said her son lost his math teacher, and his class is being instructed through recordings.

Former school board president Brenda Hirschi praised Jessee and the district staff for their work. She also offered advice to current board members and board candidates running on Tuesday’s ballot: “You have one job: educating and keeping our kids safe. That’s it.”

Shelton resident Ross Gallagher served on the board for 11 years. He pointed out he was head of the Mason County Democrats when he started his tenure, yet “I left my Democrat hat at the door” while serving on the board.

“Now there are partisan hats in the boardroom,” Gallagher said.