ARLEE — The Arlee School Board, administration and concerned public deliberated nearly two hours Tuesday night over whether or not volunteer coaches should be required to hold CPR and first aid certification. It was the second reading of an amendment that would have required the training.
The issue, part of the board’s “old business,” was argued on both sides, with proponents of the change touting student safety as a primary concern.
Volunteer coaches are not now required to know first aid or CPR, but paid coaches are. Should an injured child need hospitalization, paid staff accompany them to the hospital, leaving other students under the guidance of someone who might not be equipped to handle an emergency, proponents said.
Opponents stated if the students were away from the school, a CPR/ first aid trained bus driver would be available, and if they were at school, other trained staff would be on hand. Regular volunteers and teachers are not required to be first aid certified, however.
Doug Lefler, the Board’s vice chair, said the issue needed to be addressed because of current “inconsistencies with this policy.”
He noted that chaperones, who can travel with the team, are not required to have CPR or first aid.
“I think its actually cutting down on volunteer participation,” he said, intimating community members are not signing up to assist the school due to the potential requirement.
“It’s my opinion that we don’t require any of our volunteers to have CPR or first aid,” he said.
PE/ health instructor Susan Carney said, “When I go on my ski trips or golf trips I prefer to have staff members come with us, but that’s not always possible. I’d rather take (a volunteer) who is (trained in first aid), than somebody who isn’t.”
The risk of liability, both from untrained volunteers or volunteers left alone with a team, was of concern to Elementary Principal Lisa Miller.
“We don’t ever want them to be alone” with the students, she said. There should always be paid, trained staff present, she emphasized.
Carney, who teaches first aid, agreed. “If you have an untrained volunteer left alone with a student and they make a wrong (medical treatment) choice, we’re in trouble.”
“Somebody can only react as far as they’ve been trained,” she said.
Board Chair Ron Ritter, who pushed for the CPR requirement, said, “I hate to see this thing get so complicated.”
He explained his vision for the hierarchy of volunteer categories at the district.
“Volunteers are the lowest level; you get higher up and you’re a chaperone. You have to have board certification and a background check. The third level of volunteerism is a volunteer coach. You’ve completed the background check required of a chaperone, plus MHSA certification. Then the board said we also want those coaches to have CPR and first aid like a paid coach.”
The Montana High School Association, or MHSA, is “the policy setter for the activities and athletics in the state of Montana,” Activity Director Melinda Pablo said.
“The only requirement, whether they’re a volunteer coach or a paid coach — through the state of Montana — is that thy complete the online coaching certification … offer(ed) through their website.
CPR and first aid is strictly a local level requirement.”
MHSA certification has been required of volunteer coaches for seven years, said High School Principal Richard Bachmeier.
He believes the online course is fairly thorough.
There are eight modules to the test, he said, dealing with age-related health and safety issues regarding student athletes.
“It’s a pretty good training tool,” he said.
Applicants must score 80 percent or more on each section to be certified as a volunteer coach. Certification is good for three years.
Paid coaches do not need to be school staff, but must hold MHSA certification, plus complete CPR and first aid training before being offered a position, he said.
Still, Bachmeier said, “It’s just a paper test.” Coaches are not given any practical, hands on training in youth interaction, coaching methods, or mentoring.
“The more formal stuff you put in, the more trouble you have getting people to sign up,” he said.
“You want as many of your community members as possible to come help you out, and help with their kids. But there’s the safety aspect. You’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
Board member Hank Adams put it to the point. He said to Bachmeier, “You would be in favor of this policy the way it is? Unpaid coached will have CPR?”
Bachmeier said, “from a legal standpoint I’d say yes. From my gut feeling, I’d say no. I think we’re going to cut off an awful lot of people who can help out. From an administrator’s standpoint, I think you’re a lot better off with the CPR.”
Local mom and school volunteer Jill Couture asked, “Why wouldn’t you want to have the most qualified person possible? If (coaching) is something you want to do, you’ll get the first aid training.”
Carney told members first aid training was readily available (she teaches it at the school) and is “not that hard to get.”
But after further deliberation, the board reversed last month’s decision and opted to remove the requirement that volunteer coaches be required to hold valid first aid and CPR certificates.
In other business, a school-wide bus safety assembly will be held near the end of Oct. to remind students of proper procedure when riding buses. Bus evacuation protocol will also be reviewed.
Elementary Principal Lisa Miller reported DIBELS testing is completed, and results are being analyzed. She also said five more individuals have signed up for substitute teacher training.
Maintenance supervisor Gregg Dougherty reported a submersible pump was replaced, all hoses and sprinklers have been stored for winter and a new ice machine is on order for the elementary school.
Principal Bachmeier said the official attendance numbers for the year have been set, with the high school having 128 students, and the junior high 70. Those numbers are up from projections last spring, he said.
He also announced that 40 students had made the honor roll, with GPAs of 3.3 or above. “The staff, overall, is impressed with the work ethic of most of the students,” he said.
Bachmeier also announced that the High School students had set two goals for the coming year. One is to improve the parent interface on the school’s website, and the other is to put “Salish signs over all the classrooms, and learn to pronounce them correctly.”
Junior High students opted to spend money they earned by meeting the school’s Annual Yearly Progress on the purchase of books.
Finally, he wanted to share that “we have a wonderful staff and they go out of their way to help the kids.”
Superintendent John Miller remarked he was impressed by the level of participation during the school’s recent Spirit Week, and said, “The district seems happy, healthy, and we’re moving forward. I’m having a good time.”
Finally, a slate of new volunteers was approved, kitchen aides were hired, and the board accepted two resignations, from Melissa Wurm and Assistant Volleyball Coach Brian Big Sam.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:30 p.m.
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