School District Questions and Answers –

MRSA or Too Easy or Misdirected Threats??
First of all, let me begin by reminding my readers that this column is my opinion and my opinion only. By that I mean that I am not speaking for the board merely making observations about educational topics and asking for your perspective and input.
I could barely contain myself with the ideas brought to me this past month by good folks in the community. In a Portland Oregonian article from October 16, 2013, I found support for the idea that students “say school too easy.” Another suggestion was based on the editorial in the Eugene Register Guard on the 21st of February, 2014. This had to do with punishing students for school board’s decisions. [Bet you can see where I ‘might’ go with that idea~!!!] The final suggestion came from a website called momsTEAM about preventing MRSA spread in athletics by encouraging good personal hygiene in the locker rooms, schools, and homes. All of these sound interesting and important. So which do I choose? OR do I have to… maybe I’ll just begin with one and have some backups for weeks when no one comes forward with a suggestion. So to that end, I decided to take a look into MRSA. I have talked with the district sources who have the gym cleaned so have some information about that for later in the article.
Like all acronyms, MRSA stands for some long, frequently unheard, words. This stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The key word in all of this is the R word- resistant. This alerts me to the fact that this is one dangerous bug. I learned that Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria that lives on our skin and is normally harmless. We may have it and NOT know it. It can be spread from person to person through casual contact.
OK- I get it… the new strain is potentially resistant to treatment; we all likely have it on our skin; it can be spread easily through contact. That statement alerts me to places in our schools where our students come in contact with each other- as part of school activities. Later I learned that problems occur as a result of this critter entering the body through some kind of wound or cut, sharing athletic equipment, towels, razors, or other personal items with someone who has the infection.
Now my concern is heightened as I think of our many school sponsored, athletic events where cuts and abrasions are common. It is hard to name a sport where there is not a potential for some kind of minor injury that leads to a door for this bacterium to enter our children’s body. So much more information available but the core of what we need to know is “What do we need to do as parents and school district personnel to minimize and preferably eliminate this issue?”
At school, the literature says handwashing is the best way to prevent infection as well as NOT sharing towels, razors, and other personal items. Athletes should shower with soap after each practice or game. Athletic equipment that is shared must be cleaned with bleach-water solution on a regular basis. Hand sanitizers should also be used by trainers and others who come in contact with athletes. Disposable paper towels must also be available.
At home, commonly touched areas [doorknobs, light switches, computer and games] should be cleaned with either a disinfectant or one Tablespoon of bleach to a quart of water. Don’t share towels at home either. Wash hands often and trim nails. If you have young children, the literature suggests that parents avoid asking doctors to prescribe antibiotics too often as that use contributes to creating the resistant strain.
I toured the high school gym and locker rooms and found them to be clean and well kept. The weight room has those mats on the floor which are difficult to keep clean around the edges. But for the MRSA concern, things looked very good. I contacted the Athletic Director, Brian Brands, and asked the following questions:
How is shared equipment cleaned? In the weight room, where equipment is shared on a daily basis, it is disinfected at least once a week. PE Equipment, such as racquets etc. is not disinfected on a daily basis, but on an “As needed” basis. In wrestling, the mats are cleaned every day and the headgear that the wrestlers use is disinfected every practice. Any blood issues are dealt with immediately with disinfectant.
Does the District provide the towels/soap for showers or does the individual bring his or her own? Kids bring their own soap and towels. I believe there are some homeless funds that will help provide soap, shampoo, etc. for those in need.
Are paper towels and soap available at the sinks? Yes
Do we have a trainer who treats cuts and abrasions and what are his or her qualifications? EHS currently does not have a trainer. Mark Boren, who teachers first aid/cpr, is at most athletic events and is a go to guy for medical issues. Scott Shannon also has some medical training and is a go to guy
The ONLY place I could find ‘dirt’ was between the mats in the weight room… but MRSA is not spread by dust between the mats [thank goodness- as my home is very dusty!] – made me wonder how the wrestling mats are cleaned? Wrestling mats are cleaned daily with disinfectant.
I visited with Greg Baker, Facilities Manager, about this issue. We talked about the dangers associated with Staph infections, and Greg proudly gives the same information of just how hard his people work to keep our buildings safe and sound. Ever the master of understatement, Mr. Baker smiles and says “With a high school of over 400 students, I think we do very well.” I am pleased to agree with Greg’s observation.
Sadly, I just read this morning of the young man from Triangle Lake, Chad Steinhauer, who recently contracted a staphylococcus illness most likely, the paper said, through the taping of his ankle for a game in Portland. He sounds like a great young man; I wish him and his family all the best.
Finally, I hope you saw the editorial in the February 21, 2014 Register Guard about the Eugene School Board’s decision about Civic Stadium. If you didn’t, I would summarize it by saying that the author is asking those involved to “reconsider counterproductive vows of retribution” because of their decision. This applies to our district as well. Some are angry about the closing of Central and Noti schools. While I understand their argument and hopefully at least some of their frustrations, I know those school board members were volunteers who were trying to do their job which basically is to maintain schools for our students to the best of their financial ability. The current board is trying to do the same.
Once the statistics that board was using for population growth were found to be incorrect over time- decisions were made that hurt these communities severely. The ‘old’ board is not being hurt by “opposing a property tax level or a bond measure”. When we stop to think about who is being hurt, there is only one answer- it is our students, our children, who are paying for what some deem was the school board’s error. Choices made by well-intentioned board members “should have little or no bearing on the question of whether to build new schools and fix leaky roofs.”
I mention this because I would like to ask that each of us consider the merits, the safety issues, the needs of our community in a fair and rationale manner. Should a vote come up, vote with our minds and heart instead of our anger. Please write or call to ask questions or add comments at tmorton@fernridge.k12.or.us or 541-915-9367. I leave you with this quote from Helen Keller
“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”