Our local school district, Kearsarge school district, released their reopening 2.0 guidelines, that are the rules for the 2021-2022 school year. Other schools are preparing to do the same. Our district has stated that masks will be required for anyone who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19. 

We ask Governor Chris Sununu to implement a guideline making masks optional for all students in the State of New Hampshire, considering the following:

The severe risk to children during the entirety of this pandemic has been nearly zero. These restrictions that these school districts are placing on our children are hurting them more than the potential harm from COVID. Schools are now overstepping their authority, forcing children to be outside on the playground at 80+ degrees with a mask on. They are getting benched at recess if they pull their mask down for some fresh air. 

In the State of New Hampshire, there have been 0 COVID related deaths for children ages 0-18. As of May 27th, there have been over 5400 positive cases of COVID for children 0-9, and over 12,000 for ages 10-18. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have only been 20 children ages 0-19 that have had to be hospitalized for COVID.

Adults and teachers who are at a higher risk, have all had significant time to get vaccinated if they chose to do so. 

Children of all ages need to be able to see their peers faces, see their teachers faces. They need to be able to see their teachers talk when they are learning. Young children rely on facial interactions developmentally. 

Taking this all under consideration, it is clear that public schools should not be mandating mask use, as the threat of masks is much more of a danger to our children than the virus is. 

We hope that Governor Sununu will require that school districts need to allow the health decisions of masking children to each individual family. Please prevent any local school district in the State of New Hampshire from mandating masks for any child, vaccinated or not.