FUHSD in-person meeting schedule rejected

A proposal to return to in-person Fallbrook Union High School District board meetings was rejected by the FUHSD board April 26.

The schedule which would have started in-person meetings on May 10 failed on a board vote in which all five trustees opposed the motion.

"We should probably hold off until the next school year," said FUHSD Board President Diane Summers.

An executive order issued last year following the coronavirus outbreak waived the requirement for meetings to be held in person, and FUHSD meetings have taken place by teleconference. The expectation that coronavirus restrictions will be loosened in the near future led to the proposal to return to in-person meetings.

The high school's performing arts center is large enough that board meetings could be held there and accommodate significant numbers of public members while still maintaining separation policy. The May 10 meeting would have been held at the performing arts center.

Because that facility is booked for May 24, that day's meeting would have been held in the high school library. The library will be closed for construction June 14 and the performing arts center is booked that day, so the June 14 meeting would have been held by Zoom as a teleconference. The June 28 meeting would have been held in the performing arts center as would have subsequent board meetings.

The in-person meetings would have required health screenings and included a policy for facial covering as well as one for separation. The 5 p.m. starting time for the virtual meetings would have been changed to 5:30 p.m.

Because the coronavirus restrictions have not yet been relaxed, the board members were reluctant to approve the change to in-person meetings. "I guess we don't know for sure," said board member Eddie Jones.

"I think we should stay virtual until it is decided in June," said board member Elana Sterling.