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The Jefferson City School District is requiring parents to sign a COVID-19 liability waiver before their students can participate in school activities during the 2020-21 school year.
All head coaches and activities directors distributed the waiver to families, and parents were required to turn in the signed waiver before practices started Aug. 10 to give their child permission to participate in extracurricular activities.
"Similar to our participation policy for activities or field trips, a student will not be allowed to participate if the waiver is not signed," Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Gary Verslues said.
The waiver is required for all events sanctioned by the Missouri State High School Activities Association, was approved by a legal counsel and district administrators, and "is seen as another layer of communication and protection for students and families," Verslues said.
A waiver is not required for co-curricular events that are part of a student's grade.
Helias Catholic High School will also require signed COVID-19 activity waivers before participating in activities, but the waiver is not yet finalized, Director of Communications Sandy Hentges said.
The Blair Oaks R-2 School District is not currently planning to require a waiver, Superintendent Jim Jones said.
By signing the JC Schools waiver, the parent acknowledges there is a pandemic and state and federal government officials have declared it a public health crisis. They also agree their student has not been diagnosed with or had symptoms of any infectious disease within the past 14 days, and they will not allow their student to participate in activities until either it has been 14 days since symptoms first appeared and the student is no longer showing any symptoms or a health care provider has confirmed in writing the student has tested negative for COVID-19 or that the symptoms were not due to COVID-19.
The waiver also states while the district has preventative measures in place, the parent must acknowledge the district cannot prevent the possible transmission or contraction of COVID-19 by their student and that participating in activities could increase the risk of the student contracting the virus.
"I understand the risks associated with participation due to COVID-19 and am willingly letting my student participate, accepting responsibility for my student's health in doing so," the waiver states.
By signing the waiver, parents also agree "to release, discharge, hold harmless and indemnify" the district from all COVID-19-related "claims, demands, causes of action and/or legal liabilities, including the cost of defending or prosecuting any such claims and demands, for injuries to or death of my student occurring during, or resulting from, participation in the extracurricular program," even if the cause, damages, or injuries are alleged to be the district's fault.