BELLE — As the Maries R-2 Board of Education approved a new mask mandate to take effect at the return to school following Christmas break, a winter sports mask mandate and limited ticket sales for the visiting team was also implemented.

Belle Elementary School (BES) Principal Vanessa Feeler, who is also serving as co-athletic director, addressed the board on Nov. 24 about implementing the change in procedure to limit visitors at home games, as well as require masks when social distancing isn’t possible.

“We have been working on how we are going to make our ball games a little safer,” Feeler told the board. “When we started the school year, we weren’t sure what sports was going to look like for our students.”

As the school started winter sports, the basketball teams were quarantined from having positive cases among them. Other districts around Maries County R-2 experienced high quarantine numbers as well. Feeler said they are excited to introduce the Hudl, which will allow fans to watch games on TV and on the school YouTube channel.

“Our families will be able to watch the games from home if that is what they choose to do,” Feeler continued.

To keep those in attendance safer, she suggested requiring masks and limiting attendance from the visiting team.

“A lot of communities are talking about this right now,” Feeler said. “We are making a place for our hometown to set, our visiting teams, student body — things like that. We are going to have a six feet area around our players so we don’t set people really close to where our players are sitting. We are going to allow five tickets per player from the opposing teams so they can decide which five people they want to bring. That would not include the school staff that comes for the team.”

The list also included that cheerleaders only attend home games and masks be encouraged for spectators unless social distancing can occur.

“The band, cheerleaders and student spectators who are not sitting with their families will have assigned seating in the gym,” Feeler continued.

Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham clarified to the board that the local fans would not be restricted — except for assigned seating. Just the opposing team would be limited.

“It’s only for the people who are coming from the opposing team that would have a limited number of tickets,” Basham said.

Feeler told the board that they are seeing similar rules when they play at opposing districts.

“Many communities are saying they will give us less than five tickets per player,” Feeler said. “It’s really up to us how many we will allow.”

Feeler added that the Hudl program is installed.

The board approved the new suggested changes for winter sporting events with a 7-0 vote, but revisited it after passing a mask mandate for the district with a 4-2-1 vote, with Board President Joey Butler II and Director Tom Kinsey opposed and Vice President Dawn Hicks abstaining.

Butler asked about the mask requirement at sporting events that they just approved.

“The basketball thing, where the band is going to stay so far away and the cheerleaders are only at home (games), so far from the coaches, wear a mask — then this would go against that. The new requirement that we just passed is, ‘masks are required for all spectators unless social distancing can occur.’ Which is why you have a limited number, right?” Butler asked Basham.

Basham said that was correct.

“If you are mask mandating, then they need to wear them at the basketball games,” Basham said. “Right now, other schools are asking people to leave who don’t wear a mask.”

Director Garret Bialczyk suggested that fans who don’t want to wear a mask have other options.

“With the camera, if they are not comfortable with wearing a mask, they can stay at home and still wear a mask. There is that option. It may not be the most exciting thing to be stuck at home watching when they could be in the stand, but if you don’t want to wear a mask, you can stay home and watch the game,” said Bialczyk.

Butler said he felt like that would be singling people out.

“Well, if you don’t like it, you can stay at home, whether it is wearing a mask or not wearing a mask,” Bialczyk said.

Basham said they are not asking people to stay at home and Butler said they are preventing them from attending a game. Bialczyk said it is no more singling out than what they are doing to the students.

“I don’t like that either,” Butler said.

Bialczyk said there will be people who don’t like it on both sides, but if they are mandating it for the students, then they are mandating it for the building and it goes for everything.

Basham said she follows many of the other schools on Twitter and when they put up that they are requiring a mask mandate, they are also requiring everyone on campus to wear a mask, after, before, or during school.

Belle High School (BHS) Principal Garret Haslag asked the board if they would be requiring everyone to wear the mask even when in classrooms where social distancing is possible. Basham said they are only required where social distancing is not possible. Haslag also asked what the requirements would be at mealtimes.

“You are supposed to wear it to the table,” Basham said.

“Are we going to have to quarantine people who sat together since they are there for 23 minutes?” Haslag asked.

Director Amy Kiso said they already quarantine students who have been in contact with a positive case for more than 15 minutes. Butler asked if that would eliminate the whole “don’t have to quarantine” thing since they are together for more than 15 minutes without a mask?

“At some time, they are going to be around somebody — whether at lunch —,” Butler began. Basham interrupted and said students could sit outside if they wanted. Butler asked if that was for everybody. Basham said there are seats available outside, even though it is wintertime.

Haslag said when they have quarantines in those situations like mealtimes, it is for the positive case and the two students on each side of that case.

“I do think the guidelines for lunch say they have to wear it until they sit down and then put it back on as soon as they are done eating,” Basham said. “They may sit there and have their masks on for less than 15 minutes.”

The board agreed and released the following changes for winter sporting events:

Hometown and visiting team fans will have an assigned place in the gym. These areas will be labeled;

A six-foot area behind the score table and players’ bench will be marked off with no one allowed to sit;

The opposing team will be allowed five tickets per player, and five for the coaches. No limit is being placed on the Maries R-2 spectators;

The band, cheerleaders, and student spectators who are not sitting with their families will have an assigned area in the gym;

Cheerleaders will only attend home games; and

Masks are encouraged for all spectators unless social distancing can occur.