It turns out the Blue Earth Area School Board will have two special meetings this month, besides their regular meeting held on Monday, Jan. 3.

One special meeting had already been set for Wednesday, Jan. 19, with three items on the agenda.

However, a special meeting was held on Monday, Jan. 10, to take care of one of those three agenda items.

“We found out we needed to approve a new policy before Jan. 10,” BEA superintendent Mandy Fletcher said. “So we could not wait until Jan. 19.”

That policy is titled Policy No. 491 ­- Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing and Face Covering. It is a policy required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ETS (Emergency Temporary Standard).

“This is a federal mandate and the state MN-OSHA took the federal one verbatim and published it on Jan. 3,” Fletcher explained. “That meant it took effect that day.”

The policy covers businesses and others, such as school districts, who have 100 or more employees, and requires them to be vaccinated or have weekly COVID testing and always wear a mask while at work.

“A case about it was heard at the Supreme Court last Friday,” Fletcher said. “They have not shared any ruling, and whether it will be upheld, or changed, or only pieces of it going into effect.”

Fletcher said the BEA School District is not required to furnish or pay for the weekly test for their unvaccinated employees – but they will.

“We will have the tests available at no cost to the employee,” Fletcher explained. “Not every district plans to do this. But at $30 per test it can get to be a lot for a person.”

The motion to accept the policy passed unanimously at the meeting which lasted nine minutes.

The special Jan. 19, meeting will now have two items on the agenda instead of three. One will be the mid-year evaluation of the superintendent’s performance. The other will be a vote on the acceptance of the master contract agreement with the teachers’ union.