Nixon Bunch expressed his concern for limited mask usage and the inability to social distance inside classrooms during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Bunch, a second-year 10th grade geometry teacher at Gilmer High School, spoke at the board of education’s regular meeting last Thursday.
He shared his experiences hours after the White House declared teachers are “critical infrastructure workers.” This distinction keeps teachers in classrooms and out of quarantine if they have been exposed to the virus but do not exhibit symptoms.
Teachers will be sent home if symptoms become present or they test positive.
Bunch began his alloted five minutes by praising his students, as well as the board for making difficult decisions during this uncertain time.
His greatest concern resides in close-quarters instruction.
“Oftentimes when a student raises their hand and says ‘come help me,’ I like to get in the trenches right next to them,” Bunch said. “The truth is, I’m very fearful right now.”
He discussed masks and other safety precautions at GHS, noting, “Some of the students wear them and some don’t. I would say it’s around 50 percent. We try to encourage that and (principal) Mrs. (Carla) Foley and the administration have gone above and beyond as far as implementing hand sanitizer.
“We spray the desks down and encourage kids to walk on the right side of the hallways. But the truth is, we can’t social distance and it’s scary, especially in the classroom.”
Bunch’s largest class is made up of 24 students. His classroom is outfitted with eight tables each occupied by three students.
“So even though my largest class is pretty small, they can still only stay one to three feet from each other,” he said. “If they raise their hand and I get in there, most aren’t wearing masks.
“It’s just scary. I know there are different views on it, but it just makes me nervous.”
According to the district website, five of Gilmer County’s 4,111 students are absent with a positiveCOVID-19 status and 62 are quarantined for possible exposure.
Of the district’s 530 employees, three are absent with a current positive COVID-19 status and six are quarantined for possible exposure.
Bunch takes extra precautions following a recent medical procedure and wears a red lanyard and red bracelets to school every day. The color signifies one is “extremely cautious and strictly keeping with all CDC guidelines.”
“I had surgery about six weeks ago on my spleen, so I’m a little compromised,” he said. “My dad is probably 23 days into having the coronavirus, and the first 17 days were really bad.
“We were scared, so this really hits close to home.”
Public participation at board meetings is in place to give input, but the board does not have to respond. After Bunch was finished speaking, the board moved on to the next order of business.