This petition reflects the beliefs of parents/residents whose children are students in Haverhill Public Schools or Haverhill residents who believe in Parent Choice! Keep Masks Optional for ALL Children!

With the upcoming Haverhill School Board Meeting August 12th, we hope to have hundreds of signatures before then and the beginning of the new school year.

As parents of children in Haverhill Public Schools, and active members of our local community, we know first hand that our school board has always had the best interests of our children.  Over the last year and half, we have all done the best we could in making necessary and sometimes difficult decisions for our communities, our families, and specifically our children. Thankfully we now have so much more information and data than we had a year ago.

Haverhill Public Schools have always been on target with assessing the needs of each individual child as a whole, and the parents’ choice to mask or unmask their own children should be no different. If a family should choose that masking their child is in their best interests, they should be respected in that choice. Likewise, parents who choose not to mask their children should also be respected in their choice no matter the grade.  

Masks are a medical treatment with real risks, so it is critical that each individual family is able to decide whether or not to mask their child based on parents assessment of risks vs. benefits for their own individual child. The extensive science and research detailing the harmful mental, physical, emotional, and social effects to our young developing children proves masks are not a one-size-fits-all treatment.

With the information we now have on children wearing masks, it’s imperative to go into the upcoming school year with a new set of eyes. In early summer, hope was given back to our children with the prospect that the new school year would be seen with optional masks.  The relief from our happy children was overwhelming. Please don't take that away from them.

By signing this petition, you are stating that you would like Haverhill Public Schools to allow masks to be optional for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year for all grades.