By Guy Page

School boards for Danville and Peacham voted Tuesday evening to adopt a new communicable disease policy, while a Vermont advocacy group announced an upcoming online screening of a documentary examining pandemic-era school closures.

At their April 7 meeting, the Danville School Board reportedly approved Policy F-27, titled Communicable Disease Mitigation Measures for Students and Staff, adopting the measure as written. The policy, recommended by the Vermont School Boards Association, outlines a range of potential mitigation strategies that could be implemented during outbreaks of infectious disease.

According to the policy language, those measures may include vaccination requirements for staff, mask wearing, social distancing, screening testing, quarantine and isolation protocols, ventilation improvements, cleaning and disinfecting, and the provision of hygiene supplies.

The policy defines “communicable disease” broadly, including illnesses such as COVID-19, SARS, measles, meningitis, hepatitis, Ebola and others, as well as future mutations or related infectious diseases.

The vote comes as some community members continue to debate the long-term impacts of pandemic mitigation measures on students, including academic performance and mental health.

Meanwhile, Vermont-based advocacy group Vermont Stands Up announced it will host a free online screening of the documentary 15 Days: The Real Story of America’s Pandemic School Closures on Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 p.m.

The virtual event will take place on the Vermont Back Porch platform and will include participation from the filmmaker.

Directed by Natalya Murakhver, the film examines the duration and impact of school closures in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. It features commentary from public health experts, educators and families, and explores the academic and social effects of extended remote learning.

Organizers said the screening is part of a broader series of events planned across Vermont this spring.