Commentary: Alsea epitomizes tensions we're all feeling (Feb. 2, 2022)

February 2, 2022

The Alsea School District generally doesn’t make a big splash on the Oregon news frontier.

But it certainly has turned heads in the last couple of weeks after its School Board voted and its superintendent announced that when students returned to school Monday, Jan. 31, masks would be entirely optional.

This being Oregon, state education officials could not let that go without a vigorous response, which came in the form of a letter letting Alsea know it won’t be getting federal COVID money to which it was otherwise entitled.

COVID has created plenty of discomfort for Oregonians, on bot...

For access to this article please sign in or subscribe.