CHENEY – Several community members came out to speak out against coronavirus vaccine and mask mandates as well as a vaccine clinic at Cheney High School during last week’s School Board meeting.
The Spokane Regional Health District added several pop-up clinics at elementary and high schools around the county earlier this month to administer a COVID-19 vaccine and flu shots to youth between ages 5-11.
The Cheney High School clinic will be using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in children by the FDA.
One woman cited German research data breaking down children’s self-reported experience in masks.
Many of those reports ranged from physical ailments like headaches to attention issues that affect their ability to focus in class, she said, going on to question mask and vaccine information from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
She said many negative symptoms from vaccines aren’t being reported and doesn’t want the vaccine clinic at the high school.
It sends the wrong message about the severity of needing to be vaccinated, she said, adding there is a lack of long-term safety information regarding vaccinated children.
Other community members came to the podium to echo similar concerns.
Not only do they have individual concerns about the children but said the issue also presents freedom of choice issues.
They voiced concerns about the School Board bowing to the whims of the Spokane Regional Health office and the state when mandates don’t line up with community sentiment.
The Cheney High School vaccination clinic opened Nov. 18 and will be administering vaccines from 4-6:30 p.m.
Some of the people who spoke up mentioned they were encouraged that the clinics operation hours didn’t overlap during school operating hours, but were still critical of its presence on school grounds. This clinic is reserved for children between the ages of 5 -17 whose parents or legal guardians provide documented consent, officials said.
In other business, the School Board:
Recognized members Marcie Estrellado and Suzanne Dolle for their decades of service to the School District. Both lost their re-election bids in the Nov. 2 general election. Not only did several community members approach the podium with the purpose of congratulating them on their service, Superintendent Robert W. Roettger presented both with plaques and flower bouquets. Dolle and Estrellado were showered by applause.
Discussed Resolution No. 28-20-21 which is a certification of excess property taxes that will be levied in 2021 and collected in 2022. The budget resolution includes certified general fund educational programs and operation excess property taxes for the amount of $8.7 million. It includes capital projects fund excess property taxes for the amount of $500,000 and debt service fund excess property taxes for the amount of $10.411 million.
Approved of the Carl Perkins Career and Technical Education program’s funding for the upcoming year. The grant is for $32,169 and will help CTE focus on 21st Century applicable skills, add seven more programs of study, and will increase student outreach in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
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