The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

COVID-19 is sowing hate and discontent throughout the country. Even in Haxtun. It is not so much the disease as it is the surrounding politics, misinformation and fear mongering that have divided us. This was evident at last week's meeting of the Haxtun School Board. Because of the current edicts from our Governor, the school administration has been forced to create a plan to open our school in what the government considers to be a safe manner. The plan presented at the meeting was reasonably thorough considering that requirements change on an almost daily basis.

There were many parents and concerned citizens in attendance and from what I could tell, most all were opposed to this plan because it requires our kids to wear a mask. Well, sometimes, and sometimes not, depending on age. Teachers will have to wear a mask, or a face shield, or maybe both. Social distancing is cut down to three feet because, apparently, the virus cannot travel as far at school as in the general public. Tremendous amounts of sanitizing are required without any increase in budget to add janitorial personnel. Although it is obvious that a lot of time was put into creating this plan, it is a non-starter. The parents will not support it.

Parents who have an opinion on this should discuss it with a school board member or the school administration and attend the next school board meeting scheduled for Aug. 18.

It seems that some school board members are more worried about the school getting sued than they are about the students. That is not what you were elected for. Your job is to advocate for the needs and desires of the taxpaying residents of the district. I believe that those desires were made evident at the meeting but, I shall restate here for clarification. We do not want our kids sitting in school with masks on. Voting for anything else would be a betrayal of the people who elected you to your position. If you are serving on this board just to keep the school from being sued, or for any other reason than to represent us, you should resign.

Perhaps it is time for all the school districts of eastern Colorado to band together and stand up against tyranny.

We cannot, should not, will not, live a life of fear. Be bold. Be a Bulldog.

Dean Michael, Haxtun