Parents pack Stanislaus board meeting to protest mask-wearing requirements at schools
Parents and other advocates packed the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors chambers Tuesday morning calling for choice in mask policies for children returning to schools for the fall session.
They were protesting guidelines put out by the California Department of Public Health that would have required schools to ban students who refused to wear face masks.
Monday afternoon, The Sacramento Bee reported, the agency published new school mandates that said students who didn’t wear the face coverings would have to be turned away and instead offered “alternative educational opportunities.”
But gubernatorial spokesperson Alex Stack said late Monday that the state agency will clarify guidance to give school districts more freedom in masking, “recognizing their experiences over the past year.”
“I wonder why I can take my child to Disney World in Florida mask-free and get in line with thousands of strangers, but I can’t go back and teach my kids in a structured environment without the mask,” said Melissa Cortinas, who identified herself as a teacher.
Stanislaus school leaders have been waiting to finalize plans for the fall until the CDPH updated its K-12 reopening guidance. That agency has aligned its guidance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released national recommendations for reopening schools on Friday.
The parents who spoke at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday were concerned that federal and state guidelines will impose many restrictions on students in the classroom. They said students have education and social needs after 16 months of disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic.
“They need to work together,” Cortinas said. “They need teamwork. When I was teaching last year, I could not move in the classroom without bumping into something.”
Grace Curry, a student from Hughson, said the current guidelines mean students 12 and older must still follow mask-wearing, social distance and quarantine rules even if they are vaccinated.
“I want to see my friend smiling. I want to see smiles on people’s faces,” she said.
While the Board of Supervisors does not have a say in how the schools are run and members encouraged speakers to contact their local governing boards, the speakers asked them to pass a resolution in support of mask choice.
Samantha Tejada suggested the board place a healthy children resolution on the agenda. A board-approved resolution could be sent to state leaders expressing the county’s opinion on flexibility in schools.
Supervisor Terry Withrow said individual board members could be briefed to get their opinion on putting a resolution before the board.
Withrow, who drew sharp criticism in supporting school reopening amid COVID-19 surges last year, encouraged teachers in the audience to stand up against their unions.
“They have such a strong influence over school boards,” he said. Parents can also have their voices heard by getting involved in school board elections, the supervisor added.
Other speakers said their children’s grades fell off with remote learning and the confining environment in classrooms filled with plexiglass and safety measures.
A parent said a strict mask requirement is unreasonable at the K-6 level based on evidence those children don’t readily spread the virus. Her son is dreading a return to school because of mask-wearing that fogs his glasses.
Children with speech issues need to speak freely without a mask to improve their skills; in addition, COVID restrictions are preventing teen-age students from playing sports or attending the prom, various speakers said.
The state released a policy Monday that would prohibit unmasked students at schools. But the rule was soon amended. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration will let school districts deal with students not wearing a mask.
In an update Tuesday, the California Department of Public Health noted that complete physical distancing isn’t possible in many school facilities, so the state will draw on CDC guidelines for layering prevention strategies including continued mask-wearing indoors and a robust testing program.
“Mask enforcement will continue to be handled by local schools as the state recognizes the unique needs of each district and child,” the CDPH said.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 11:59 AM.
