We appreciate the school board's adoption of a resolution for a mask mandate for the Ashdown Public Schools District on August 24, 2021.

 The mandate is a vital first step.

We do not want this momentum to stop! Instead, we advocate an aggressive, layered approach that ensures all schools in the district are taking the necessary steps to slow the spread of the virus. 

We are grateful to the heroic healthcare workers who risk their health and the health of their families to keep us safe. These heroes are a part of our community and many share our thoughts and concerns with the district's response to the virus. They have shared their combined decades of experience with us to construct recommendations and protocols we believe are imperative for the success of the combined task of educating students and protecting them from the virus. The suggested protocols are as follows: 

1. COVID-19 education for students should cover the benefits of immunizations for individual and public health.  
2. There should be an enforced focus on FREQUENT handwashing; especially for elementary and middle school students who do not qualify for vaccinations.
3. The district should provide students materials, such as disposable wipes, to sanitize new workstations when they transfer classes. 
4. Sanitation stations should be placed in multiple locations on each campus. 
5. Each school should check temperatures as a requirement of entry. Reports should be publicly available. 
6. The district should provide a virtual classroom solution for students that meet the criteria for virtual learning. 
7. The district should provide Chromebooks for each student in the event of full closure. 
8. Due to a reported 300+ reported quarantines in the first weeks of classes, we request the immediate closure of schools for 2-3 weekdays for full terminal cleaning. 
9. Administrators should work to adjust the school schedule to a 4-day instruction week to allow one sanitation day.
10. All plans to address the spread of COVID-19 should be documented and posted publicly. 

These are a few recommendations agreed upon by a council of concerned citizens who want to protect the students of Ashdown School District.