Mars Area School District approved changes to the district Health and Safety Plan that make quarantining optional for asymptomatic students who are exposed to COVID-19.

After attending an ESSER committee meeting last week, Superintendent Mark Gross recommended that the school district change its Health and Safety Plan to avoid “over-quarantining healthy students.”

“If they are not symptomatic, we will take them. If you are uncomfortable with that, we will allow you to quarantine, but that will be your choice,” Gross said. “We will ask individuals to just monitor and make sure there are not any symptoms.”

The new policy requires students who have symptoms of COVID-19 to quarantine, but makes quarantining a choice for those who do not have symptoms. The board will still notify parents if their children are close contacts.

“I'm not medically qualified to say anything other than as an educator, we want to enhance our in-person learning to the greatest extent possible,” Gross said. “I want it to be parent choice, and I don't want to make situations where parents are forced to make decisions about their very own work and very own livelihood by staying home with a healthy child. I need to trust the fact that if someone is symptomatic they will keep their child home.”

The motion to change the policy passed with a 7-2 vote, and the policy takes effect Wednesday.

Board members Megan Lenz and Lee Ann Riner voted no on the motion, recommending further discussion before approval.

“I feel we need more time to discuss this than to just implement this abruptly and have it start tomorrow morning,” Riner said. “I would feel more comfortable having more discussion with the other members. With the COVID numbers increasing, it's not appropriate to make this tomorrow morning.”

Several parents spoke on the changes at the meeting.“I do have an at-risk child, and I know not everyone has an at risk child. I would really implore you to think about those kids and how they also deserve to go into school safely,” Mars parent Taressa Rhoads said. “Contact tracing is the bare minimum to keep these kids safe.”“I urge you to implement this policy immediately,” Mars parent Garrett Ringler said. “Assuming that with the current policy you need time for those parents that are nervous about asymptomatic children walking around, that's negating or to the detriment of the parents who are waiting for their non-symptomatic children to go back to school. Every day and every hour that they are not in-person learning is a detriment to those children. You are giving parental choice at the expense of another. It's paramount that these kids cannot get denied this in-person learning that the district needs to supply.”“I think the kids and the families maybe need more time to digest this,” said parent Greg Hull. “To bring it up today, vote on it and approve it … at least give us some time to formulate our position fully.”

Mars Area Varsity Football players and family members spoke at the meeting as the board voted to open up the varsity head football coaching position, which has been occupied by head football coach and athletic director Scott Heinauer since 1992.“I want to commend you guys for taking this seriously,” said parent Jeff Maple. “It's not easy after the tenure that has been had, and he needs to be commended for that tenure, but I wanted to commend you guys for bringing it forward.”“We again wanted to reiterate what people were saying and extend a thank you for taking into consideration what's been said about our head coach in the past month, and taking charge and making a change that we all feel is needed,” student Noah Nesselroad said. “We fully stand behind the change that is being approved.”“Those boys put in a lot of their life to that football team, and I think they deserve a coach who gives as much to the team as the team gives to the coach,” said parent Suzanne Hull. “I just want you to think about that as you start your search for a new coach because that's a group of dedicated boys who really put a lot into that team.”