The Examiner U-46 News FeedMasks mandated by U-46 for elementary students By Seth Hancock
School District U-46 has released its plans, although tentative, for the 2021-2022 school year at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, July 19.
A large group of parents, which led to two overflow rooms, came out to oppose continued COVID-19 restrictions, largely mask mandates. But the district said its plans are to require masks for elementary students and “strongly encourage” them for secondary, said Superintendent Tony Sanders.
Sanders said masks are required for all students while on buses, but masks are not required for any student while outside.
The district will no longer continue self-certification while social-distancing guidelines are three feet in classrooms.
Parents will be asked to tell whether they or their children are vaccinated, but Sanders said they cannot require them to answer. Contact tracing is expected to continue, and the district plans to screen unvaccinated students with weekly PCR tests if they receive parental consent.
However, Sanders said its “contingent” on what the district is told to do by state agencies.
Sanders later admitted he does not want local control when asked what the transmission data would need to be to remove mask mandates for elementary students. He said he “hoped” the state would give “very explicit direction…. Instead, it’s left really to local districts at this time to make those decisions.”
Board member Kate Thommes said she does “like these mask mandates” and suggested incentivizing, à la Pavlov’s dog experiment, wearing masks at the secondary level.
Board member Melissa Owens wanted to know why the district can’t force parents to answer the vaccine question. She, and other district officials, lamented that they can’t force vaccination.
“Part of the issue is that currently COVID-19 vaccine is not a mandated vaccine,” said Jeff Judge, supervisor of health services.
While they can’t force parents to answer, Sanders stated the district can get that info anyway.
“Sharing this information is voluntary noting that we do have access to the state database… to track this, to see if a child or an adult is vaccinated, it’s a lot easier if we have direct access from parents,” Sanders said.
Parents speaking during public comments noted the clear discriminatory environment the district is creating between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
“You should want to show examples on how to unite and respect everyone’s decisions,” said father of two U-46 students Maciej Dluzniewski. “With all due respect to all members of the board, you have no right to make those decisions for us parents. They are our children, our responsibility.”
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