(Story by Beaver County Radio News Corespondent Curtis Walsh)

The New Brighton School Board met last night and took public opinion from parents, staff, and residents on the wearing of masks and following state and CDC guidelines. Dr. Joseph Guarino started with a presentation to show where the New Brighton Area School District is in terms of following guidelines and being safe.  One of his main concerns for New Brighton is the size of the rooms and buildings within the district, in which he explained are not built for the situation we are in today.  Tensions got high when people began voicing their opinions.  Most in attendance were not in favor of the Covid-19 protocols and stressed that they just want kids to be back in school like normal. Many insisted that the disease is a “hoax”.  The school board members were also under fire while people criticized their handling of the virus in the district and voiced their aggravation of virtual learning. Notable people in attendance were Beaver County Commissioner Dan Camp and Jim Marshall who both voiced their opinions on the subject.  Commissioner Camp talked about efforts being made to get teachers vaccinated and also mentioned that schools cannot be “forced to close” for not following all of the recommended guidelines.  Representative Marshall encouraged residents to reach out to him on issues that they believe he may be able to help with regarding their children in school. After public opinions were over, the school board resumed with their normal meeting which consisted of the approval of various bills and reports as well as policy revisions.  Also on the meeting agenda were multiple school property tax exonerations and a few teacher retirement acceptances.  Audio from the meeting can be heard below.

Dr. Joe Guarino Superintendent

Public Opinion Compilation