Process Audit Summary Contact Tracing Protocol for the 2021 Exeter High school Prom: The Exeter High School senior prom took place on June 4,202 at Exeter High School.
It was initially reported that the event went smoothly however, in the coming days, SAU 16 learned that students’ hands were marked to designate their vaccination status, and or initial parent complaint was received by the administration.
Related: Unvaccinated Students at High School Prom “Numbered” with a Sharpie – Tracked All Night
On June 10, 2021, SAU 16 announced an internal audit of the prom planning process, which is standard protocol when concerns are raised about any school or SAU level function. The audit was led by SAU 16 Director of Safety and Security, Rich Kane, and Assistant Director of Student Services, Ellen Riiska.
We want to thank Jim Johnson and Jim Berlo for this SAU 16 Summary. If you have an Op-Ed
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The findings will be reported to the Exeter Region Cooperative School Board on August 3, 2021. In an effort to share information with the public at large while still protecting the privacy of individual employees, we are releasing the following summary of the audit findings:
- A teacher, acting in the role of a class advisor, appropriately played the lead role in prom planning. However, given the complexities of planning a large-scale event in a pandemic year,
high school administration should have been more actively involved in the planning and decision making, especially with regards to contact tracing. - High school health staff and state and federal experts should have been consulted for advice regarding contact tracing.
- In light of the unique circumstances, additional training should have been provided to volunteers at the prom.
- On May 19, 2021 a directive from Superintendent Ryan prohibiting staff from asking students about their vaccination status was not followed by the high school administration and staff involved in the planning of the prom. In addition, appropriate care was not exercised to ensure the confidentiality of this information once it was collected. In addition to violating the directive issued by the Superintendent, allowing access to student vaccination information by individuals and/or volunteers who may not have had an official school purpose may have constituted a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
The audit findings indicate that the collection of student vaccination information and the marking of student’s hands at the prom were both violations of an administrative directive not to inquire about student vaccination status. This resulted from a lack of proper planning, inadequate communication, poor execution, and insufficient oversight. While there is no question that the intent of those involved in the planning was to provide a safe event for students, the procedures were flawed and poorly executed.
As a result of this internal audit, the process and guidelines for planning and executing events at all of the SAU 16 schools will be redesigned to ensure appropriate oversight, communication, coordination, and execution.
Editors Note: This is from the SAU. Jim’s Johnson and Berlo will be providing their own follow-up/analysis shortly.
