HORTONVILLE, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Last year, Jax Anderson was proud of her fifth grader's school.
"This year it seems like they've, in my opinion, really bent to community pressure and public opinion to not engage in those similar mitigation strategies," the former HASD parent said.
Some parents are frustrated with the Hortonville Area School District's Covid mitigation strategies. Anderson says groups of students have been instructed to spend time outdoors in cold temperatures.
"They decided spontaneously one day to have the kids eat lunch outside without telling the parents," she said. "They just made the announcement."
Greenville Middle has seen the most significant surge in the district with 23 active coronavirus cases.
"I think they've been creative at Greenville Middle School when we had an uptick of cases to use outside at lunch," Superintendent Todd Timm said.
Hortonville is temporarily requiring masks for grades 4K through 8. And this semester, Timm has faith in his staff.
"[We want] to be able to use all of our spaces during this time to be available for five days of in-person instruction," he said.
But some families want to see further precautions.
"Last week, I open enrolled [my daughter] to the Appleton Area School District," Anderson said. "So she was accepted and started there. ... I'm still in the [Hortonville] district, so I feel a sense of responsibility."
HASD's mask mandate lasts until the next board meeting on Oct. 11.
"You were spacing to the best of our ability, but they're trying to be as creative as possible," Timm said.
Hortonville contact traces positive Covid cases and the district says it's social distancing where feasible.
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"We're using all the strategies," Timm said.
While kids under 12 years old remain ineligible for a vaccine, some parents hope for the best.
"They're [school board] looking at this data and picking and choosing what they want to follow to please everyone in the district," 4K parent Anissa Champeau said. "Their job is not to please people in the district. Their job is to keep children safe."
