A brief update regarding concerns raised by patrons over no-touch thermometers was given at the Sept. 8 meeting of the Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo USD 327 board of education.

The district uses the devices to measure temperatures.

Superintendent Dale Brungardt said concerns were raised about the safety of the devices — specifically, the possibility of damaging the pineal glad in the brain. While he noted those concerns were not taken lightly, Brungardt said the notouch thermometers USD 327 uses are deemed safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and John Hopkins University and are used around the world.

“The thermometers do not emit any form of radiation,” he said. “They in fact measure the heat or infrared radiation coming from or being emitted by the body.”

Brungardt said he had been contacted about the thermometers from a group of school superintendents who were on an e-mail list.

“I had heard about this two-anda-half to three weeks ago,” Bringardt said. “I guess I was hoping it wouldn’t be anything. But when it ended up being a concern I ended up sharing my article with those other superintendents. I sent an e-mail to some parents as well. And I have not checked e-mail today, so I don’t know if I got anything back from when I sent it. But I think for the most part, we should be okay.”

Brungardt said he is having local medical providers provide the school district with information to ease any community concerns.

“We’ll see what they come up with,” he said.

In other business:

• Brungardt said with the start of the new school year, the hard work put forth by principals and teachers has paid off. “One of our goals was to get kids

“One of our goals was to get kids to come back to school this year, for our families, for our parents, for our communities,” he said. “The other goal now is to keep them in school. So that’s also one of the things we’re doing.”

Brungardt said he is hearing of other schools that are having to do hybrid or even remote classes already.

“We’ll need to keep thinking about those things,” he said. “Those situations develop rapidly, so we need to be able to adapt, overcome or pivot as some people say. There certainly will be challenges that will continue as we move forward.”

Brungardt said mask use by students at the district’s schools has been pretty positive as well as social distancing and hand washing.

“We’ve had just a few hiccups here and there, but nothing the principals and teachers haven’t been able to figure out,” he said.

• The gift of a personal protective equipment kit from Nemnich True Value was accepted by the board. Brungardt said the gift, which is valued at more than $800, came from a grant received by Nemnich True Value. The kit consists of sanitizer, soap, spray bottles and KN-95 face masks.

• Board clerk Dina Rankin gave a brief update on the health insurance benefit for district employees. She said 61 employees are taking part, consisting of 45 certified and 16 classified employees. Full-time employees taking part will receive $530 per month, while part-time employees will receive $397 per month. Rankin noted the benefit was negotiated as part of the teachers contracts.

• Approval was given to have Brungardt seek bids to replace the fixtures and bulbs of the 30 house lights over the audience in the Performing Arts Center at Ellsworth Junior-Senior High School.

This does not include the stage lights.

Brungardt said only six of the 30 lights are working. He would like to see the lights updated to LED lights. He estimated the cost of the replacement project to be more than $20,000.

• Brungardt briefed the board on a proposal to build a steel truck port between the metal shop and the maintenance building at EJSHS. The 30’ by 30’ three sided building would be used to protect the school pickup and skid steer from the elements. The estimated the cost of the structure is $4,000-$15,000. Brungardt will gather more information and present it at the October board meeting for possible action.

• After returning from a 10-minute executive session to discuss nonelected personnel (employment), the board accepted the resignation of Alicia Thompson as EJSHS administrative assistant, and hired Stacey Young as a bus driver and Ashlyn Guerrero as a substitute K-6 teacher at Ellsworth Elementary School and Kanopolis.