Policy only goes into place if court upholds law

By Barbie Porter

Editor

Two Frazee-Vergas School Board members opposed a vaccine mandate. Board members Thaddeus Helmers and Michael Frank opposed while Tyler Trieglaff, Daneele Shipman, Kimberly Antonsen and Tammie Nunn supported the measure, although several did so with trepidation. 

During its monthly school board meeting on Monday, Jan. 11 Superintendent Terry Karger made it clear the policy would only be put in place should the United States Supreme Court uphold the law that was made requiring vaccines for those with 100 employees or  more. Karger stated the school district has 144 employees.

He explained the Minnesota State Board Association recommended a policy be approved. That way, if the courts uphold the law the district will not be concerned with the hefty fines that could otherwise be put upon the district, as well as individual board members.

If the court blocked the law, then the district’s policy would be null and void.

The school board had Karger reiterate the policy would only go in place if the law was upheld by the Supreme Court and if it was not upheld, the policy would not go into practice. 

Board Chair Thaddeus Helmers asked if it were to become law, and supported by the Supreme Court, then why did the district need a policy for it?  

Board member Nathan Matejka said with two options to enforce the law or not, there were two paths to go down. The policy provides districts the option to chose last weeek which path.