Members of the South Whidbey School Board will conduct board meetings in person, starting in January.

But for members of the public, the option to watch from home via video technology will still be available.

Apart from a few instances during the summer, the board has held the majority of its meetings over teleconferencing app Zoom.

An interruption involving a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance during an in-person meeting Aug. 25, coupled with a rise in COVID-19 cases and the public’s unwillingness to mask up during school board meetings, led the board to decide to move back to Zoom.

But now, board members agreed they’re ready to give it another shot in the new year, provided that attendees are following COVID-19 protocols.

The topic was discussed during a workshop meeting Dec. 8.

“I really believe that our community wants to be able to speak in person, to share public comment in person, and I would love to be able to hear voices and see faces,” Board Member Marnie Jackson said. “So long as we can actually protect one another by maintaining the public health guidelines in that space, I think returning to in-person feels right.”

Student representative Sol Rabinovich agreed, pointing out that students don’t have the option to attend school by Zoom when they don’t feel like being physically present in the classroom.

“For the board to not meet in person and not give community members the opportunity to be at those meetings in person seems pretty hypocritical,” Rabinovich said.

Student representative Audrey Gmerek voiced support for a hybrid model that would allow people to continue watching meetings from home.

“I concur,” Board Member Ann Johnson said. “I definitely think we’re at our best when we’re live and we’re able to engage in communication in person.”

Board Member Brook Willeford said being able to engage in back-and-forth discussion during workshops is critical.

When asked his opinion, departing Board Member Damian Greene said he never would have stopped meeting in person in the first place.