West Central declines Pulaski County Health Department and yoga MOU

The West Central school board did not approve a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pulaski County Health Department and a yoga program during their regular meeting on March 5. Superintendent Dr. Cathy Rowe and Middle and High School Principal Mike Carlson briefly explained what the program would look like, if approved. Dr. Rowe said that PE/Health Teacher Brian Pilarski and the health department have a expressed an interest in providing a less than 10 week program in coordination with Catch My Breath, an anti-vaping program. Principal Carlson explained that a Catch My Breath and a yoga lesson would occur one day a week during all PE classes under this program. However, parents would have an option to opt their child out if they want to. Carlson said that some concerns with the yoga portion of the program were brought up in a recent meeting. He said that a lot of concern was brought up with the spiritual aspect of yoga. All of the spiritual language has been requested to be taken out of the parent information letter, but it has not yet, as the yoga program is waiting for the official okay. Board member Dennis Gutwein said that when he read the proposed parent letter, he would have been skeptical of some of the language used about the program if he was a student parent.